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Health shake-up email row

Opposition parties table a vote of no-confidence in Health Minister Lesley Griffiths, following the publication of emails from an advisor to the author of a report into reforms to the Welsh NHS

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Political battle continues after no confidence vote

Labour have echoed Dafydd Elis Thomas' attack on his party, with one Welsh Government source claiming that Plaid Cymru have proved that they are happy to be stooges for the Tories. Meanwhile Plaid say that the political fallout over what they call hospital downgrading is far from over,

This is not about playing politics; it is about taking responsibility for important decisions that affect us all. Today, we invited the Health Minister to clear her name, but she failed to take that opportunity. It is clear from the correspondence that the Welsh Government, local health boards, and the NHS confederation each played a significant part in the drafting of the report on hospital reconfiguration, yet the Minister has denied this. The Health Minister is willing to take the credit for the opening of new services, but fails to take responsibility for the closure of old ones.

– Plaid Cymru Health Spokesperson Elin Jones AM

The Welsh Conservatives have promised to maintain 'fierce opposition to the downgrading of district general hospitals' despite the government's 29-28 victory, defeating the vote of no confidence on the Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths.

The Minister’s performance today remains utterly unconvincing. Responses to many of the questions posed were completely contrary to the evidence provided. Serious questions persist on a number of significant issues and explanations on important matters relating to the report’s independence remain as clear as mud. It is disappointing that the joint motion has fallen in this way, despite continued cross-party concerns on the case for change report’s independence.

– Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar AM

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Darren Millar AM: 'Serious questions persist'

Shadow Minister for Health, Darren Millar AM has responded to the no confidence vote defeat, saying that Health Minister Lesley Griffiths' argument "remains utterly unconvincing".

Responses to many of the questions posed were completely contrary to the evidence provided. Serious questions persist on a number of significant issues and explanations on important matters relating to the report’s independence remain as clear as mud. It is disappointing that the joint motion has fallen in this way, despite continued cross-party concerns on the case for change report’s independence. Welsh Conservatives will maintain our fierce opposition to the downgrading of district general hospitals that will force patients to travel further for emergency treatment.

– Shadow Minister for Health, Darren Millar, AM

Plaid Cymru responds to no confidence vote defeat

Today, we invited the Health Minister to appear before the committee to clear her name, but she failed to take that opportunity. It is clear from the correspondence that the Welsh Government, local health boards, and the NHS confederation each played a significant part in the drafting of the report on hospital reconfiguration, yet the Minister has denied this. It is astounding that the Health Minister is willing to take the credit for the opening of new services, but fails to take responsibility for the closure of old ones.

The Health Minister has survived a vote of no confidence by the skin of her teeth. She now needs to front up and be held responsible for the political decisions that she is accountable for.

– Elin Jones, Plaid Cymru’s Health spokesperson

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Minister and top doctor deny wrongdoing over NHS report

The Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths, and the Welsh NHS Medical Director, Dr Chris Jones, have both strongly denied doing anything wrong in their handling of Professor Marcus Longley's report on the future of the health service. They were being questioned by the Assembly's health committee.

The Shadow Health Minister, Darren Millar, pressed Dr Jones over his email to Professor Longley about an emergency response service in Scotland. Dr Jones called it 'a positive new service that needs to go in'. It appeared in the final draft but Dr Jones denied influencing the report's contents.

None of that is true. As a doctor, the last few days have been quite painful because I have had to hear a lot of statements made in public about conniving, conspiracy, some sort of immoral behaviour, seeking to mislead the public. Now as a doctor, that's accusing me of serious professional misconduct and that is very difficult for me. It's worse also because the comments made have been absolutely untrue and there seems to be no reason to think that they may be true.

– Welsh NHS Medical Director Dr Chris Jones

So when you said 'this is a positive new service that needs to go in', you weren't seeking to influence the report?

– Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar AM

I was telling Professor Longley that ... it needed to be part of the future arrangements of NHS Wales. Professor Longley would not have know that unless I had told him.

– Welsh NHS Medical Director Dr Chris Jones

The Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths, will face a vote of no confidence in the Assembly this afternoon over her officials' actions. She told the committee that although she knew that Professor Longley would ask her officials for information, 'the report was Professor Longley's independent view'.

Top doctor denies influencing NHS report

Dr Chris Jones, the medical director of the Welsh NHS, has denied that his emails to Professor Marcus Longley were an attempt to influence the professor's report on the future shape of the health service. In one email he wrote about the need for 'a persuasive vision of how things could be better'.

Dr Jones told the Assembly's health committee that the email was 'feedback on his emerging findings'. Earlier, Professor Longley had told the committee that Dr Jones' email referred to how the government would respond to his report once it was published.

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