North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has today questioned the Health Minister over the supply of lateral flow tests in Flintshire and Denbighshire, after constituents said this was not compatible with the First Minister’s statement that ‘we have more than a greater supply to meet our needs’.
Responding to the Health Minister’s ‘Update on Covid-19’ Statement in this afternoon’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood said he has been contacted by constituents who have been experiencing problems accessing the tests and asked the Minister to respond to their concerns.
He also asked her to respond to concerns regarding the lack of information in British Sign Language on the official website on how to take lateral flow and PCR tests.
He said:
“How do you respond to concern raised with me by Deaf Community representatives in North Wales about the lack of information in British Sign Language on the official website on how to take lateral flow tests and PCR tests where, as they state, if their members are struggling even with their assistance, then others must be also?
“Concern was also raised with me by constituents after the announcement twelve days ago that the Welsh Government had agreed to loan 4 million lateral flow tests to the UK Government, which deals with distribution for the whole of the UK, where they had unsuccessfully attempted to find lateral flow tests in Chemists and distribution centres open in four Flintshire and Denbighshire towns.
“How do you therefore respond to their statement that “this lack of availability was not compatible with Mark Drakeford’s statement ‘we have more than a greater supply to meet our needs’”, and to their subsequent statement yesterday that although they had now managed to source lateral flow tests, staff and customers at the pharmacies they went to during their search for these the previous week told them that “it was viewed as luck if one managed to get them”?
In her response the Minister said she would “ take up your point about the facilities for Deaf people”, but with regards the shortage of lateral flow tests said the issue is distribution and that “the responsibility for distribution to the pharmacies is with the UK Government.”
Speaking afterwards Mr Isherwood said:
“The Welsh Government is responsible for health services, coronavirus regulations and lockdown restrictions in Wales. The Welsh Government has previously stated that it is working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to deliver lateral flow tests in Wales and to increase capacity at all collection sites, including pharmacies in Wales. Ministers in the Welsh Government should therefore start sharing responsibility and stop their simplistic buck-passing.”