Diolch, Llywydd. Rydw i jest am dreulio munud neu ddwy yn sôn am un agwedd bwysig o’r ddadl yma, yn sicr un y gwnaeth Rhun gyfeirio ati’n gynharach, sef argaeledd gwasanaethau drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, wrth gwrs, oherwydd os ydym ni’n meddwl bod yna broblem—ac mae yna broblem o safbwynt niferoedd doctoriaid, nyrsys a gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol eraill—yna mi allwch chi ddychmygu cymaint yn fwy yw’r broblem o argaeledd y bobl iechyd broffesiynol hynny sydd yn medru cynnig eu gwasanaethau drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Rydw i’n siŵr y bydd nifer ohonom ni wedi bod yn delio â gwaith achos— yn gyson yn fy achos i, ac rydw i’n siŵr eraill hefyd—lle mae yna rieni yn trio cael gwasanaethau iechyd i’w plant ac yn methu cael gafael ar yr ymarferwyr yn y maes sydd yn gallu cynnig y gwasanaethau yna trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.

Digwydd bod, bore yma’n unig, mi roedd y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg yn delio â gwelliannau Cyfnod 2 ar gyfer y Bil anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, ac mi gawson ni, yng nghwrs datblygu argymhellion yng Nghyfnod 1 y Bil, dystiolaeth eang iawn ynglŷn â diffyg argaeledd gwasanaethau cyfrwng Cymraeg yn y maes penodol yna. Wrth gwrs, mae hynny yn signal clir i ni fod cynllunio’r gweithlu fel ag y mae hi wedi bod dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf yn fethiant yn y maes yma, ac rydym ni nawr fel pwyllgor yn ffeindio’n hunain yn cynnig gwelliannau er mwyn gosod yn y Ddeddf disgwyliadau o safbwynt cynllunio’r gweithlu ac argaeledd ymarferwyr cyfrwng Cymraeg. Nawr, nid dyna’r ffordd i gynllunio’r gweithlu, ond rydym ni’n ffeindio’n hunain, i bob pwrpas, yn gorfod gwneud hynny drwy’r drws cefn er mwyn ateb y galw sydd allan yna, ac yn alw y mae’r Llywodraeth yma a Llywodraethau blaenorol wedi methu â cwrdd ag ef.

Mae yna, wrth gwrs, hefyd achosion wedi codi yn ddiweddar, ac wedi cael cryn sylw yn y cyfryngau, lle mae yna ddiffyg meddygon teulu. Mae meddygfa Dolwenith ym Mhenygroes, wrth gwrs, ac mi glywon ni i gyd am hanes honno yn cau: yr unig ddoctor yn y dyffryn a oedd yn medru’r Gymraeg yn gorffen, ac o ganlyniad, wrth gwrs, dim darpariaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg. Rydw i eisiau sôn ychydig am gefn gwlad hefyd, oherwydd yng nghefn gwlad Cymru, wrth gwrs, mae meddygon teulu ar gyfartaledd yn hŷn, yn nes at oed ymddeol, ac mae lefelau recriwtio yn is hefyd, felly mae’r broblem yn cael ei dwysáu.

I was looking at some of the statistics, and they tell their own story: a total of 54 per cent of core medical training places were unfilled in hospitals in Betsi Cadwaladr and Hywel Dda health boards, compared to just around half that level, 23.6 per cent, in other Welsh health boards. Sian Gwenllian, earlier in this debate, referred to vacancy levels: 37 per cent of all the vacancies listed were in Betsi Cadwaladr, despite Betsi, of course, only serving around 22 per cent of the population of Wales. As an Assembly Member representing the North Wales region, then I am particularly concerned about the situation there. And the largest hospital in north Wales, of course, Wrexham Maelor Hospital—this is something I raised with the First Minister earlier this week—currently, there are 92 vacancies for nurses in that hospital and, as a result, we’re now seeing some specialist nurses having to work on general wards. The Royal College of Nursing are concerned that wards might have to close. A growing number of those nurses who are working there are approaching retirement age, and just as we’ve seen with GPs in Wrexham and other places actually, many are opting to retire early after many years of service. Betsi Cadwaladr board have engaged a private agency to recruit abroad in Barcelona and in India in recent years, and many nurses recruited in Barcelona were unable to work for some time due to their language limitations, and they’ve largely now returned home. Only four nurses from India have passed the language test. All of this feels more like a short-term panic measure and not the long-term, thought-out strategy that we should have in place for north Wales and other parts of the country.

You know, Betsi Cadwaladr has been for the past two and a half years in special measures, so the Government has to accept responsibility for failing to adequately plan to ensure enough nurses are trained and recruited here in north Wales. And we also need, of course, to focus more on retention and returnees, as well as ensuring that new recruits come through. To make things worse, I have to say, Glyndŵr University, less than half a mile from the Maelor—practically across the road—has now started to train nurses on a new course, a full slate, 35 trainee nurses have enrolled this year, which is great news, but none of these trainees will go on placements within Betsi Cadwaladr hospitals. Instead, they’ll be going to placements in Telford, in Chester, and some private healthcare providers locally. This is because the Welsh Government is refusing to recognise the course because the nurses are not eligible for the bursary. So, trainee nurses are not getting the practical training in their local hospital and therefore are more likely to settle into work across the border as a result. It’s a sad loss of talent for north Wales, but it does reflect the state of workforce planning in our health service in Wales today.