Thank you for contacting me regarding chronic conditions.
The Committee’s report laid bare the scale of the challenge. Under Labour in Wales, nearly half of adults in Wales live with a long-term illness and one in five have multiple chronic conditions, with 30% of those with four or more under the age of 65. The Labour-run Welsh NHS here in Wales is struggling to cope with current challenges and is not prepared for the pressures coming its way from chronic conditions.
Whilst I am pleased that the Welsh Labour Government have listened to some of the report, I am disappointed that they have failed to fully adopt the list of recommendations, including their rejection of a one-stop shop clinic to support patients with complex and multiple conditions, instead opting to simply place even greater pressure on GPs.
It is also important to note that, whilst there are commitments to bolster the number of specialist nurses in our NHS, the number of these nurses is not even recorded centrally and so any effort to make workforce improvements will be aimless and incredibly difficult to track. Moreover, the Welsh Government’s failings regarding prevention, data handling, and mental health support have all greatly exacerbated the extent of the impact that chronic conditions are having on the population of Wales.
My Welsh Conservative colleagues and I will continue to push the Welsh Labour Government to go further on chronic conditions, so that suffering can be reduced and NHS resources can be saved.