Welsh NHS needs an independent enquiry

THE National Health Service in Wales has been the subject of many letters on these pages in recent months and years but never has it faced a starker warning than that delivered by the British Medical Association just a few days ago. The organisation that represents 7,000 doctors has called for an independent inquiry into the Welsh health service and predicted ‘meltdown’ if swift action isn’t taken. The BMA joins a senior Labour MP, a patients watchdog, the college of emergency medicine, and the man who conducted England’s recent NHS inquiry, in calling for similar action from the Labour government in Wales. Welsh Conservatives agree – but given the Welsh NHS is run by Labour you’d expect that wouldn’t you? The truth is this is not about political posturing or point scoring. I have been calling for an NHS inquiry for 18 months and I’m willing to work with the other political parties to deliver it. Just hours after the BMA’s call an investigation was announced following the death of a woman in an ambulance while it was queuing outside a hospital. My heartfelt thoughts go out to all those affected by that tragedy and I hope answers are quickly forthcoming. The evidence is stacking up and it’s more than clear that there are serious questions to answer over standards of care in the NHS. An independent all-Wales inquiry would tackle those issues head on and safeguard our health service for future generations. Support for that continues to grow rapidly and I urge the Welsh government to begin implementation.