Welsh Labour fails to grapple with the NHS crisis

By Alex Wedlake

Just before the Christmas the BBC issued a stark warning for the people of Wales. The NHS winter crisis had begun.

In 2019 the Welsh Ambulance service has failed to meet its response time targets despite monumental number fudging that oversaw the degrading of stroke call outs from Red to Amber; this is in spite of the huge F.A.S.T campaign that runs throughout the year to try and limit the damaging, and potentially fatal effects of a stroke.

It is no surprise that Labour turned off their core support within Wales during the general election losing votes in both remain and leave constituencies. When Jon Ashworth, the then shadow secretary for health, spoke in the summer at the Aneurin Bevan Festival in Tredegar; the birthplace of what became the modern-day NHS; he spoke of Labours plans for the NHS. He claimed that should Corbyn and his Government get elected they would end austerity in the health service, “just like Welsh Labour have done for the people of Wales through the Welsh Assembly Government”!

It was an insult that the people are Wales are not likely to forget in a hurry. The warning came with the notice that people can expect waits of over 6 hours for an ambulance as most remain stuck outside over-crowded A&Es with no trolleys or beds for patients to be processed. The crisis was sparked after reports of a 47-year-old woman; mother of a 11-year old girl; from Aberdare died because ambulance services could not reach her in time.

Without mobilisation of the trade union movement and local community campaigns like the one that saved the Sam Davies Ward in Barry it is more than likely that austerity in the Welsh NHS will claim more victims yet.