Sam Rowlands MS for North Wales is calling for more to be done to recognise the vital contribution from pharmacists in helping the NHS throughout the pandemic.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government, was commenting as he closed the Welsh Conservative debate motion in the Senedd.
In the Senedd debate Welsh Conservative MSs called on Labour ministers to urgently reduce bureaucracy by introducing e-prescriptions and provide access to medical records; ensure dedicated protected learning time within working hours for wellbeing and study and Invest in the pharmacy workforce to train more pharmacy staff and upskill existing staff.
He said:
As point 1 of our motion states, pharmacists have carried out vital work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and had a crucial role in supporting primary and secondary care. While in society many of us were able to work from home, pharmacists, lots of them, were on the front line, continuing to provide that support and care face to face for people who needed it at the time.
In addition to this, they were at the forefront supporting the fantastic national roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The second key issue is actually that the national clinical community pharmacy service, outlined in point two of the motion, comes into force on April 1 and many hope this will alleviate some of the pressures facing pharmacies and pharmacists at the moment.
The third area is outlined in point four 4 (a) of our motion, about the need to speed out the roll-out of technological advances here in Wales. Technology here is basic at best.
Mr Rowlands said he was delighted the motion had been backed with cross party and Government support.
This has been a great opportunity for us to come together to celebrate their work and to thank them across our parties. Nevertheless, it has become clear from the debate that pharmacists are still under extreme pressure and stress and more needs to be done to reduce bureaucracy, reduce the burden on staff, and ultimately lead to a better service for those who need it.
Sam Rowlands AS am weld rhagor o gefnogaeth a chydnabyddiaeth i waith fferyllwyr yng Nghymru
Mae Sam Rowlands, AS dros Ogledd Cymru, yn galw ar i fwy gael ei wneud i gydnabod cyfraniad hanfodol fferyllwyr wrth helpu’r GIG drwy’r pandemig.
Roedd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol yr Wrthblaid, yn rhoi sylwadau wrth iddo gloi cynnig i’w drafod gan y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn y Senedd.
Yn y ddadl yn y Senedd, galwodd Aelodau o’r Senedd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig ar weinidogion Llafur i leihau biwrocratiaeth ar unwaith drwy gyflwyno e-bresgripsiynau a chynnig mynediad at gofnodion meddygol; sicrhau amser dysgu ymroddedig wedi’i neilltuo o fewn oriau gwaith ar gyfer llesiant ac astudio, a buddsoddi yn y gweithlu fferyllol i hyfforddi mwy o staff fferyllfeydd ac uwchsgilio’r staff presennol.
Meddai:
Fel y dywed pwynt 1 o'n cynnig, mae fferyllwyr wedi gwneud gwaith hanfodol drwy gydol y pandemig COVID-19 ac roedd ganddynt rôl hanfodol yn cefnogi gofal sylfaenol ac eilaidd. Er bod llawer ohonom mewn cymdeithas wedi gallu gweithio gartref, roedd fferyllwyr, llawer ohonynt, ar y rheng flaen, yn parhau i ddarparu cymorth a gofal wyneb yn wyneb i bobl a oedd ei angen ar y pryd.
Ac yn ogystal â hyn, roeddent ar flaen y gad yn cefnogi'r broses wych o gyflwyno'r brechlyn COVID-19 yn genedlaethol.
Yr ail fater allweddol a nodwyd heddiw yw bod y gwasanaeth fferylliaeth gymunedol glinigol genedlaethol, a amlinellir ym mhwynt 2 ein cynnig, yn dod i rym ar 1 Ebrill, ac mae llawer yn gobeithio y bydd hyn yn lleddfu peth o'r pwysau sy'n wynebu fferyllfeydd a fferyllwyr ar hyn o bryd.
Amlinellir trydydd maes ym mhwynt 4(a) ein cynnig, am yr angen i gyflymu'r broses o gyflwyno datblygiadau technolegol yma yng Nghymru. Mae technoleg yma yn sylfaenol ar y gorau.
Dywedodd Mr Rowlands ei fod yn hynod falch bod y cynnig wedi’i gefnogi gyda chefnogaeth drawsbleidiol a chefnogaeth y Llywodraeth.
Mae hwn wedi bod yn gyfle gwych i ni ddod at ein gilydd i ddathlu eu gwaith a diolch iddynt ar draws ein pleidiau. Fodd bynnag, mae wedi dod yn glir o’r ddadl bod fferyllwyr dan bwysau mawr a straen o hyd ac mae angen gwneud mwy i leihau’r fiwrocratiaeth ac ysgafnhau’r baich ar staff, gan arwain yn y pen draw at well gwasanaeth i’r rhai sydd ei angen.
