Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy is surprised that Mark Drakeford MS has returned to the Welsh Government as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
While Health Minister from 2013-2016, there were multiple reports highlighting inadequate care and systemic failures by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, including a 132-week wait for cancer treatment for older patients and a blatant shortage of physios, district nurses, support workers, and OTs.
This comes at a time when the waiting list for hospital treatment in Wales reached another record high, with about a fifth of the Welsh population waiting to be seen. The latest figures show that in May 2024 there were 611,500 individual patients waiting for just over 787,900 treatments to take place, both record figures.
Commenting on the news Janet said:
“I have known Mark for a long time, he is a good public servant. However, I am utterly bewildered that he has been chosen as Cabinet Secretary for Health.
“Despite my deep respect for him, he is returning to a role he previously held where he oversaw the placement of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board into special measures, a status the Health Board still maintains.
“In 2013, I raised with him in the Welsh Parliament that one of my constituents waited over 18 months in a hospital bed just for EMI provision. Indeed, figures from 2016 showed that 79 per cent of patients aged 65-plus experienced a massive delayed transfer of care, with 54 per cent of these delays due to poor community care.
“I still have constituents waiting months, years for treatment, so I can assure you that I will be closely scrutinising him in the chamber.
“How can we have any confidence at all that Mark Drakeford will tackle the issues facing the beleaguered Health Board when he did not succeed all those years ago. Indeed, he gave us no path forward when First Minister so what are we to expect now from him now?”
ENDS
Mae Janet Finch-Saunders, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Aberconwy, yn synnu bod Mark Drakeford AS wedi dychwelyd i Lywodraeth Cymru fel Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol.
Yn ystod ei gyfnod fel Gweinidog Iechyd rhwng 2013 a 2016, cafwyd sawl adroddiad yn tynnu sylw at ofal annigonol a methiannau systemig Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr, gan gynnwys cleifion hŷn yn gorfod aros 132 wythnos am driniaeth canser a phrinder amlwg o ffisiotherapyddion, nyrsys ardal, gweithwyr cymorth a therapyddion galwedigaethol.
Daw hyn ar adeg pan mae'r rhestr aros am driniaeth ysbyty yng Nghymru wedi cyrraedd record uchel arall, gyda rhyw un o bob pump o boblogaeth Cymru yn aros i gael eu gweld. Mae'r ffigurau diweddaraf o fis Mai 2024 yn dangos bod 611,500 o gleifion unigol yn aros am ychydig dros 787,900 o driniaethau i ddigwydd, y ddau ffigur uchaf erioed.
Wrth sôn am y newyddion dywedodd Janet:
“Dwi'n adnabod Mark ers amser maith, mae'n was cyhoeddus da. Fodd bynnag, mae’r ffaith ei fod wedi'i ddewis fel Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd yn achosi penbleth llwyr i mi.
“Er gwaethaf fy mharch mawr tuag ato, mae'n dychwelyd i'w hen rôl lle bu'n goruchwylio'r broses o roi Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr dan fesurau arbennig, statws y mae'r Bwrdd Iechyd yn parhau i fod ynddo.
“Yn 2013, fe wnes i godi mater efo fo yn Senedd Cymru bod un o'm hetholwyr wedi disgwyl dros 18 mis mewn gwely ysbyty dim ond am ddarpariaeth EMI. Yn wir, dangosodd ffigurau o 2016 fod 79% gleifion 65 oed a throsodd wedi profi oedi enfawr wrth drosglwyddo gofal, gyda 54% o'r oedi hwn yn digwydd oherwydd gofal cymunedol gwael.
“Mae gen i etholwyr sy'n dal i aros misoedd, neu hyd yn oed flynyddoedd am driniaeth, felly gallaf eich sicrhau y byddaf yn craffu'n fanwl arno yn y siambr.
“Sut allwn ni fod yn ffyddiog y bydd Mark Drakeford yn mynd i'r afael â'r problemau sy'n wynebu'r Bwrdd Iechyd trwblus hwn ac yntau wedi methu gwneud hynny flynyddoedd yn ôl. Yn wir, wnaeth o ddim cynnig unrhyw ffordd ymlaen pan oedd o'n Brif Weinidog, felly beth allwn ni ei ddisgwyl ganddo rwan?"
DIWEDD
