Wednesday, July 04, 2012
How wrong can you be?
From yesterday's Assembly Plenary session:
Peter Black: A total of 131 GP practices have taken the trouble to return a survey to the Welsh Liberal Democrats to say that they disagree with your policy of extending their opening hours, with 127 saying that they would need additional funding to implement it. The BMA is warning that it could affect recruitment. As your policy does not have the support or confidence of doctors, how will you deliver extended consultation hours for the residents of Neath Port Talbot
The First Minister: That assertion that doctors do not have confidence in this policy is based on a survey to which only 20% responded. The BMA is wrong as well, apparently, and the survey that was carried out last year was wrong. The reality is that the people of Wales voted for this. They voted to ensure that they could see GPs at more convenient hours. They voted to ensure that they could see GPs on Saturday mornings. I am disappointed that the Member thinks that the views of the people of Wales are not relevant to this issue. We will continue to make sure that people are able to see GPs at a time that is more convenient to them, working closely with the GPs to deliver that.
So everybody is wrong apart from the First Minister. I am glad we sorted that out.
Peter Black: A total of 131 GP practices have taken the trouble to return a survey to the Welsh Liberal Democrats to say that they disagree with your policy of extending their opening hours, with 127 saying that they would need additional funding to implement it. The BMA is warning that it could affect recruitment. As your policy does not have the support or confidence of doctors, how will you deliver extended consultation hours for the residents of Neath Port Talbot
The First Minister: That assertion that doctors do not have confidence in this policy is based on a survey to which only 20% responded. The BMA is wrong as well, apparently, and the survey that was carried out last year was wrong. The reality is that the people of Wales voted for this. They voted to ensure that they could see GPs at more convenient hours. They voted to ensure that they could see GPs on Saturday mornings. I am disappointed that the Member thinks that the views of the people of Wales are not relevant to this issue. We will continue to make sure that people are able to see GPs at a time that is more convenient to them, working closely with the GPs to deliver that.
So everybody is wrong apart from the First Minister. I am glad we sorted that out.
