03/28/2024

Wales News Online

Local & National News for Wales

Health Minister says it will take ‘several years’ to get on top of backlog in Welsh Health Service

THE Minister for Health and Social Services Vaughan Gething MS has said that he expects it to be several years and or at least a full term of the Welsh Parliament before the NHS gets to grips with the backlog of health related issues in Wales.

Speaking to Llanelli Online today, Tuesday (Sep 29), Vaughan Gething said: “There are two distinct things. Access to your general practice, your local health service is one that has changed. More people are accessing on the telephone or through online video consultations. Doctors are working differently and lots of members of the public find that a real plus and benefit. Telephone and online will continue and become the norm of the future.”

The Minister said that he took a decision to end elective care at the end of March. He said: “What we are trying to do to return the tap back on is that we have been progressively restarting parts of our health care system.”

He concluded: “It is going to take a full Welsh Parliament term to get back on top of that because we are not going to find a normal way of working until we are at the point where there is a vaccine or effective antiviral treatment for Covid-19.”

We asked the Minister about a number of issues in Wales including the return of students to universities, the reopening of Llanelli Leisure Centre, concerns for the elderly in residential homes and whether the Welsh Government are financially contributing to finding a vaccine and if that is being tested on people and or animals.

You can listen to the full interview here.