Commenting on the content of Keir Starmer’s NHS speech today, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, Russell George MS said:
“It’s no wonder Keir Starmer didn’t mention Wales in his speech. Here, health is devolved and the responsibility of Labour Ministers in the Senedd who have an abysmal, indefensible record over the last 25 years.
“His message was one of ‘revolution’, so why isn’t he advising his Labour colleagues in Cardiff Bay to fix our Welsh NHS, which has longer waiting times than England across the board. He stood in front of an ambulance, in Labour-run Wales there is a 50:50 chance that one will arrive on time when you need it.
“He said we need an NHS fit for the future that gives patients more control, but in Labour-run Wales our Welsh NHS is stuck in the past; no digital prescriptions, no NHS app and still using fax machines – unlike England.
“He accused the Conservatives of not caring about the long term, but the Labour Government have been so slow to adopt the UK Conservative’s plans for surgical hubs, that Wales is the only part of the UK with inhuman two year waits for treatment – still at over 30,000 people. In fact, there are now three times as many people waiting two years in Wales than there are people waiting 18 months in England, despite England having 18 times our population.”
