I recently led a Welsh Parliament debate on the state of GP practices in Wales, which are a key component of the health system.
Unfortunately, despite the hard work of general practitioners and other staff, the sector is under huge amounts of pressure.
There are 99 fewer GP practices in Wales today than there were in 2012, and I am concerned that will soon reach triple figures.
This has happened, in large part, due to declining levels of funding from the Labour Welsh Government.
As it stands, less than eight per cent of NHS Wales funding goes towards general practice, which is below 2005-06 levels.
Many readers will remember the halcyon days of general practice.
You had traditional family doctors, the GP who would know your entire family and your medical history.
They were able to appropriately assist with your entire wellbeing in addition to any issue you had on a particular day.
Now, thanks to the huge decrease in practice numbers, GPs are under immense pressure.
As one practice shuts its doors, the waiting list is simply transferred to another practice.
That’s not only bad for patients, who are waiting longer and travelling further, but also terrible for the GPs themselves and other staff members at the practices.
This is demonstrated by statistics from the Royal College of General Practitioners.
They found that that 67 per cent of GPs do not have the time to take a rest break, and that 70 per cent of GPs work more than their contracted hours most days.
No wonder we have a recruitment and retention crisis in Wales.
Without a happy and supported staff, everything else falls to pieces.
As part of the Welsh Conservative debate motion, we endorsed the British Medical Association’s ‘Save our Surgeries’ campaign.
That includes targets of 11 per cent of NHS Wales’s funding being spent on general practice and the production of a workforce strategy to ensure that Wales trains, recruits and retains enough GPs.
The fact we don’t already have such a strategy is deeply concerning.
The Labour-run Welsh Government need to get a grip and make sure that general practice in Wales is fit for the future, so you can be confident of getting quality provision for years to come.
As ever, if you have any queries or issues you’d like to raise with me, then you can get in touch by emailing sam.[email protected].
Fy marn i - The Leader
Yn ddiweddar, arweiniais ddadl yn y Senedd ar gyflwr meddygfeydd yng Nghymru, sy'n elfen allweddol o'r system iechyd.
Yn anffodus, er gwaethaf gwaith caled meddygon a staff eraill, mae'r sector dan bwysau aruthrol.
Mae 99 yn llai o feddygfeydd yng Nghymru heddiw nag yn 2012, ac rwy'n poeni y bydd hynny'n cyrraedd ffigyrau triphlyg yn fuan.
Mae hyn wedi digwydd, i raddau helaeth, oherwydd bod lefelau cyllid Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru yn gostwng.
Fel mae pethau, mae llai nag wyth y cant o gyllid GIG Cymru yn mynd tuag at feddygfeydd, sy'n is na lefelau 2005-06.
Bydd llawer o ddarllenwyr yn cofio dyddiau da meddygfeydd teulu.
Roedd gennych chi feddygon teulu traddodiadol, y meddyg teulu a fyddai'n adnabod pob aelod o'ch teulu a'ch hanes meddygol.
Roedden nhw'n gallu cynorthwyo'n briodol gyda'ch lles cyfan yn ogystal ag unrhyw broblem oedd gennych ar ddiwrnod penodol.
Rŵan, diolch i'r gostyngiad enfawr yn nifer y meddygfeydd, mae meddygon teulu dan bwysau aruthrol.
Wrth i un practis gau ei ddrysau, mae'r rhestr aros yn trosglwyddo i bractis arall.
Mae hynny nid yn unig yn beth drwg i gleifion, sy'n aros yn hirach ac yn teithio ymhellach, ond hefyd yn wael i'r meddygon teulu eu hunain ac aelodau eraill o staff y practisau.
Mae ystadegau Coleg Brenhinol yr Ymarferwyr Cyffredinol yn ategu hyn.
Does gan 67 y cant o feddygon teulu ddim amser i gymryd seibiant, ac mae 70 y cant o feddygon teulu yn gweithio mwy na'u horiau contract y rhan fwyaf o ddyddiau.
Does ryfedd bod gennym argyfwng recriwtio a chadw staff yma yng Nghymru.
Heb staff hapus a chefnogol, mae popeth arall yn chwalu.
Fel rhan o gynnig dadl y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, fe wnaethom gymeradwyo ymgyrch 'Achub ein Meddygfeydd' Cymdeithas Feddygol Prydain.
Mae hynny'n cynnwys targedau o 11 y cant o gyllid GIG Cymru yn cael ei wario ar ymarfer cyffredinol a chynhyrchu strategaeth gweithlu i sicrhau bod Cymru'n hyfforddi, recriwtio ac yn cadw digon o feddygon teulu.
Mae'r ffaith nad oes gennym strategaeth o'r fath eisoes yn peri pryder mawr.
Mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru sy'n cael ei rhedeg gan y Blaid Lafur gael gafael ar bethau a sicrhau bod ymarfer cyffredinol yng Nghymru yn addas at y dyfodol, fel y gallwch fod yn hyderus o gael darpariaeth o ansawdd am flynyddoedd i ddod.
Fel arfer, os oes gennych chi unrhyw broblem neu gwestiwn yr hoffech godi gyda mi, mae croeso i chi gysylltu trwy e-bostio [email protected].
