"Sadly, the failures of our health service in Wales have become all too common," says Brecon and Radnor Senedd Member James Evans
You visit the pub, the shop, the laundrette, and you’ll almost certainly hear someone talking about their latest GP visit, hospital appointment, or the horrific wait they had for an ambulance
Sadly, the failures of our health service in Wales have become all too common. The message I hear most is: the staff were wonderful, it’s the system that’s failing them. My thanks go to each and every worker on the front line.
Nowhere is this clearer than in the digital side of the NHS.
You’d think that in 2025, NHS Wales would be able to share data and results between hospitals. Yet patients are still transferred with paper records, and prescriptions are still sent by fax.
While England has embraced digital healthcare, Wales remains stuck in silos, different for the sake of being different, and it’s leaving patients behind.
It’s easy to criticise, but we need more than complaints, we need solutions.
I recently set out my pledges at party conference.
If I were in Government, I’d launch a full review of Wales’ health structures, cutting bloated bureaucracy and management. I would ensure access to a GP appointment within 7 days. I would cut waiting lists from 2 years to a maximum of 1 year, bringing us in line with England over time.
Right now, Ministers say they can’t directly intervene in health boards. That’s wrong. There must be accountability, transparency, and consequences. If performance is poor, then NHS Executives… and Ministers… must shape up or ship out.
With the NHS taking up the majority of the Welsh Government’s budget, every penny must be spent wisely.
Yet we’re seeing local services withdrawn in the name of saving money, when in fact, it often costs more to treat patients in large hospitals. Quality healthcare must be accessible in local communities.
That means protecting and growing services in our community hospitals. Some specialist services will always require travel further afield, but the more we provide locally, the better the outcomes.
Our NHS should work for you and your family, and for the frontline staff who give their all, every single day.
Brecon and Radnorshire Senedd Member James Evans
