Rydw i’n hapus am y cyfle i gyfrannu heddiw.

I’m pleased to take part in this debate this afternoon. I’m going to focus my remarks on the important role that community health councils play, but I particularly want to talk about Powys CHC in particular. I have to say, as a constituency AM, I’m in regular contact with the chair of my local CHC, and it was good to meet as well with a lot of the CHC members in Berriew show last month, where we had a good discussion about the White Paper. Now, during First Minister’s questions yesterday, I noted the concern that the White Paper does not contain any recognition of the specific complexities of cross-border services, apart from, of course, the other issues of the important scrutiny role that CHCs play. Now, there is a real fear that unless these changes are reflected, the patient’s voice and the scrutiny of health services for the people of Powys—who largely, of course, access services, don’t forget, from across the border in England—will be severely diluted.

Yesterday, I was pleased that the First Minister confirmed that the Welsh Government would carefully look at the consultation responses from Powys community health council and ensure that a consensus would be reached. That was welcomed to hear. But it is essential, certainly in my view, that we maintain a situation where community health councils have statutory rights to act as effective, independent advocates for patients in a cross-border setting in particular. This is all the more important for constituents of mine because of the changes that are happening in Shropshire in regard to the NHS Future Fit programme. I hope the Cabinet Secretary’s listening to this next point that Powys community health council represents the eyes and ears of patients of over 60 boards and committees of service providers providing health services amounting to over £120 million, including £22 million alone from the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. At present, there is no clarity in the White Paper as to who would fulfil the important scrutiny role on behalf of patients in the absence of community health councils.

Others have mentioned the experience of Scotland’s model of patient representation there, so I won’t go into that and talk about toothless hamsters, et cetera, but there is a fear that unless CHCs are afforded a statutory role, they will have no teeth to be a powerful advocate for the patient, consigning patients to shouting from the sidelines, of course, rather than being an integral part of the decision-making process. Of course, I listened to Eluned Morgan. What I would say is that many of my constituents know about CHCs because they’re referred; my office receives referrals from CHCs for particular kinds of casework. And often, my office refers constituents to the CHC, so if they’re not aware of the CHC, they soon are by the time they leave my office.

The final point I would make is that very often—we all know this as AMs—very often when an organisation is faced with being scrapped, that organisation campaigns heavily to us. But what I would say is that in speaking to my own health CHC, what they’re saying is that they’re accepting change. That’s accepted and that’s understood, and there’s no sense of there should be no change happening at all. So, I would say today that I’m encouraged that Members from across a number of political parties are supporting the Conservative motion today. I hope all Members will do, because I think it’s important that the citizen’s voice is strengthened rather than weakened.