1000 DOCTORS

Several of our health services have struggled because of staff pressures, there are simply not enough doctors to deliver services safely. This situation is mirrored in the primary care sector, where up to 40% of our GP’s are close to retirement in some areas and because of this GP services are beginning to come under pressure. Problems with recruiting the next generation of GP’s means that existing doctors are increasingly overworked and increasingly under pressure. We need to start to address these issues and attract more doctors in GP and hospital practice. There is no one single magic solution to the recruitment crisis; Plaid has proposed a combination of policies that will attract 1000 extra doctors. These include financial incentives including a bond scheme to pay off student loans in exchange for guaranteed service – this has been used very successfully in New Zealand. A combination of direct salaries to attract GP’s to those areas where it is difficult to recruit and making use of the EU to fill short term gaps – something that too many of our Local Health Boards (LHBs) have failed to use – so far on three of our LHB have half-heartedly tried to recruit doctors from the EU. These are short term solutions, along with this we need long term investment in our medical schools to create home grown doctors. Currently some 95% of doctors who complete their training in Wales choose to stay in Wales. It is also important that training rotas should give trainee doctors a much wider experience, particularly in those areas where it is hard to recruit – this is particularly crucial when it comes to recruiting GP’s.

THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE...

We have reached the point where the consumption of soft drinks with excessive sugar is recognised as being unhealthy. Drinking a can of 'pop' a day increases the risk of developing diabetes by 22%. This has been recognised by the Royal College of Paediatrics, the chief medical officer of England and over 60 other bodies and groups who have supported Plaid’s idea of such a levy on sugary drinks.

The Party of Wales has produced a comprehensive paper which explores the introduction of a sugary drinks levy of 20% in Wales – the recently published paper makes interesting reading. The paper sets out how Wales can adopt this innovative tax with the fiscal powers that it is set to receive through the Wales Bill, in order to lead the way on public health.

The research’s main conclusion is that bringing in such a tax in Wales:

• It would reduce the number of obese people by 8,300 and those who are overweight by 13,300
•  It would result in a 15% reduction in the sugary drinks consumed.

 There would also be wider beneficial impacts on our public health:

• Our expenditure on diabetes would reduce in the long term
• The numbers of cases of diabetes would be reduced, especially amongst those on low incomes.
• A reduction in incidence of heart would follow
• Tooth decay would be reduced
• Manufacturers would lower sugar levels in drinks - so the products consumed would be healthier. 

The full details of the tax on Sugary drinks would subject to consultation - the research based the above effects on taxing drinks with added sugar (but not fruit juices). This is a refreshingly creative use of the new fiscal powers could help in the fight against rising obesity levels. 

The independent and thorough research examines the potential revenues that could be raised from the tax, and what effects it could have on people's behaviour. At one level, this proposal is about the art of the possible, while the proposals won’t eliminate obesity, the tax will help to contribute to achieving this goal - which moves things forward.

THE SPIRIT MAYBE WEAK BUT THE FLESH IS WILLING

The old man (who had been in some pain and discomfort) finally got a bed at ten past five (in the morning), after ten and a half hours wait in the assessment unit, the doctors came around at half five, but decided to let him sleep a bit more, after talking to his wife. The previous evening assessment unit was full at six pm and stayed full until well after eleven pm with some patients temporally bedding down for the night until beds became free. In the dry heat dehydration looked like it was taking a steady toll of the old and not so old. The search for beds (in the large hospital) was pretty much constant with the phones quietly being manned in the background as staff worked hard to match patients with beds. The staff in the assessment unit; were superb, but they all looked tired and run ragged by the heat (along with everyone else). They barely paused quietly moving from one patient to the next, checking on medications, liaising with tired (but young) doctors, who had been on their feet for hours and checking the patients and reassuring relatives. Previously the ambulance arrived just outside its two hour window, the ambulance staff had also looked tired but were incredibly professional and gentle working expertly to move the old man out of the house and into the ambulance, constantly reassuring him and his family. Before that the Doctor once called had been swift and had set the wheels in motion, so that the patient note was ready for collection from the surgery to be taken with the patient to the hospital. Whatever the faults with the NHS and there are more than a few, it’s not the staff, the spirit (of the NHS) may appear weak but the flesh is more than willing.