In addition to my position as Senedd Member for North Wales, I am also the Shadow Minister for Health.
This means I have an important additional role in scrutinising the Welsh Government on health issues – that includes all manner of things such as the management of Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board or Accident and Emergency waiting times.
One thing that always crops up as a huge issue is NHS waiting lists. No matter where you are in Wales, it’s a problem.
Unfortunately, the latest NHS statistics for Wales revealed an increase in the number of people on waiting lists – it’s now the highest level on record for the fifth consecutive month.
As is stands, more than 615,000 patients are now waiting to start treatment. That’s in a nation of just over three million people.
That’s pretty staggering. If you’re not on a waiting list yourself, you’ll probably know some who is or at least know someone who knows someone that is!
It’s pretty clear to everyone that the NHS is in crisis and that the Labour Welsh Government have failed to bear down on these excessive lists.
The numbers can seem overwhelming, but behind every one of those statistics is a human being with a life and a family. Sometimes they are in indescribable pain, with chronic illnesses that aren’t getting attended to.
The ambulance service is under immense strain, too. Those latest statistics show that just 48.2% of red calls (the most serious) were attended within eight minutes. The Welsh Government’s own target is 65% of those calls being attended to within that eight minute mark.
I could go on and on about a myriad of other areas where numbers are getting worse and targets aren’t getting met.
The new First Minister, Eluned Morgan, was the Health Minister until she got the top job. That Health role is now filled by former First Minister Mark Drakeford, which we are told is only on an interim basis.
I was surprised that a huge job like Health Minister is being given out on a temporary basis.
This isn’t a football club that needs a new manager until the end of the season, it’s a health system that is creaking and in desperate need of effective leadership and administration.
If you have any queries or issues you’d like to raise with me, then you can get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Fy marn i - The Leader
Yn ogystal â'm swydd fel Aelod o'r Senedd dros y Gogledd, fi hefyd yw Gweinidog Iechyd yr Wrthblaid.
Mae hyn yn golygu bod gen i rôl ychwanegol bwysig wrth graffu ar Lywodraeth Cymru ar faterion iechyd - mae hynny'n cynnwys pob math o bethau fel rheoli Bwrdd Iechyd Betsi Cadwaladr neu amseroedd aros Damweiniau ac Achosion Brys.
Un peth sydd bob amser yn codi fel problem enfawr yw rhestrau aros y GIG. Waeth ble rydych chi yng Nghymru, mae hyn yn broblem.
Yn anffodus, datgelodd ystadegau diweddaraf y GIG yng Nghymru gynnydd yn nifer y bobl sydd ar restrau aros - dyma'r lefel uchaf erioed am y pumed mis yn olynol erbyn hyn.
Ar hyn o bryd, mae mwy na 615,000 o gleifion bellach yn aros i ddechrau triniaeth. Mae hynny mewn gwlad o ychydig dros 3 miliwn o bobl.
Mae hynny'n eithaf syfrdanol. Os nad ydych chi ar restr aros eich hun, mae'n debyg y byddwch chi'n adnabod rhai sy’n aros neu o leiaf yn adnabod rhywun sy'n adnabod rhywun sy’n aros!
Mae'n eithaf amlwg i bawb bod y GIG mewn argyfwng a bod Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru wedi methu â chael trefn ar y rhestrau aros hyn.
Gall y niferoedd ymddangos yn llethol, ond y tu ôl i bob un o'r ystadegau hynny mae yna berson sydd â bywyd a theulu. Weithiau maen nhw mewn poen arteithiol, gyda salwch cronig ond yn methu â chael eu gweld.
Mae'r gwasanaeth ambiwlans dan straen aruthrol hefyd. Mae'r ystadegau diweddaraf hynny'n dangos mai dim ond 48.2% o alwadau coch (y rhai mwyaf difrifol) a fynychwyd o fewn wyth munud. Targed Llywodraeth Cymru ei hun yw bod 65% o'r galwadau hynny'n cael eu gweld o fewn yr wyth munud hynny.
Gallwn fynd ymlaen ac ymlaen drwy lu o feysydd eraill lle mae'r niferoedd yn gwaethygu ac nid yw targedau'n cael eu cyrraedd.
Y Prif Weinidog newydd, Eluned Morgan, oedd y Gweinidog Iechyd hyd iddi gael y brif swydd. Mae'r rôl Iechyd honno bellach yn cael ei llenwi gan y cyn-Brif Weinidog Mark Drakeford, ac mae yntau’n cyflawni’r swydd dros dro yn unig.
Cefais fy synnu bod swydd mor bwysig â’r Gweinidog Iechyd yn cael ei chynnig dros dro.
Nid clwb pêl-droed yw hwn sydd angen rheolwr newydd tan ddiwedd y tymor, mae'n system iechyd sy'n sigo dan bwysau ac sydd angen arweinyddiaeth a gweinyddiaeth effeithiol.
Os oes gennych chi unrhyw ymholiadau neu faterion yr hoffech eu codi gyda mi, yna cysylltwch â ni drwy e-bostio [email protected].
