English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Just in starting this debate, I'd like to put on record again, myself, and on behalf of us as Welsh Conservatives, the immense thanks to all staff in the healthcare sector for the hard work, dedication and commitment that they continue to show to Welsh patients. Now, let's be honest, the health service here in Wales under this Welsh Labour Government did not enter the pandemic on its best footing. The 95 per cent target for patients spending less than four hours in A&E had never been met. Cancer waiting times had not been met for 10 years. Forty-two per cent of people in Wales had an unmet need for physiotherapy compared to 30 per cent in England, and Betsi Cadwaladr, my own health board, had some horrendous waiting times in February: 508 patient pathways waiting over 36 weeks to start ENT treatment, 903 for urology, and 3,192 for trauma and orthopaedic treatment. As Andrew R.T. Davies has quite correctly said, these are individuals. Their lives are being impacted daily. Sadly, despite these tireless efforts of our front-line workers, the impact of the pandemic on these individuals is devastating. Waiting times for those waiting more than 36 weeks have increased by eight times; 168,944 people have been waiting more than 36 weeks for treatment. In fact, the overall number of patient pathways waiting to start treatment by the end of September 2020 had topped 0.5 million people. Now, as the Minister knows, I have written to him on several occasions with constituents who are now on record as having waited years for some orthopaedic surgery, and we must note the BBC Wales report, which shows a tenfold increase in patients waiting for all treatments in the Welsh NHS compared to September 2019. Now, these are not new findings, and we're not dismissing the impact of COVID-19, but in fact, warnings of backlogs were made during the first lockdown. The Royal College of General Practitioners commented that in 2009, during the flu epidemic in the UK, there was a significant increase in deaths from strokes. So, there is a risk that the obvious emphasis on COVID patients will result in treatment for other health conditions being delayed if patients are not allowed to present in primary care. Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation highlighted severe concerns about people with chronic lung disease being at greater risk of preventable exacerbation and worsening of health. The British Heart Foundation indicated that the drop of 20 per cent in the number of people seen in hospitals across Wales with a suspected heart attack since lockdown may partly explain the increase in deaths that are not currently attributable to COVID-19. Now, while I agree that many treatments were closed at the start of lockdown, obviously, to ensure the safety of patients, urgent action is needed now to resume some of these services. Unlike the Minister, I think it would be sensible to put a plan in place to tackle the waiting list backlog. You should immediately boost the use of COVID-free hospitals. As recommended by the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, across the UK, setting up COVID-19-free hospital areas could prevent 6,000 unnecessary COVID-19-related deaths - this is after cancer surgery - over the next year. On 31 July, NHS England published the third phase of its COVID-19 response, which had a particular focus on the capacity available to ensure the return of near normal levels of non-COVID health services. But in comparison here, we've seen the Welsh Government struggle to act quickly. So, by 28 August, no general and acute beds were available in field hospitals. This was the case for nearly two months until 15 October, when 115 beds had been made available. That's less than half of the capacity seen at the peak of the pandemic. That failure to not use the independent and field hospital capacity consistently, before the second wave, has driven pressure on to our existing hospitals during the second wave. The seriousness of this situation is clear, when considering that 2,000 people could die because of COVID-related delays in the Welsh NHS. Scotland and England have had cancer recovery plans in place for several months, yet not here. So, I wholeheartedly support the calls for a plan and a nationwide campaign to ensure that people who suspect that they have cancer and need to go to hospital do so. Even Macmillan Cancer Support recommended last month that you must commit a clear plan and resources to support the delivery of surge capacity. I will close by noting that the urgent action that we are requesting is feasible. This is constructive opposition. Not only is it supported by health organisations, but we can feasibly boost the use of COVID-free hospitals across Wales by ensuring that health boards have clear policies on addressing testing requirements and frequency for staff and patients; adequate PPE and surgical supplies and clear policies on when and how to use them; local co-ordination to ensure that patients' care pathways are appropriately managed; the use of hospitals from the independent sector to boost capacity; and Nightingale hospitals to remain in operation. Please, Minister, let us all work together now across the board and deal with the situation that faces us now with COVID, but let normal hospital treatments that are required by the Welsh public continue and let them have their much-needed treatment. Thank you. Diolch.
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Wrth ddechrau'r ddadl hon, hoffwn gofnodi eto'n bersonol, ac ar ein rhan ni fel Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, y diolch enfawr i holl staff y sector gofal iechyd am y gwaith caled, yr ymroddiad a'r ymrwymiad y maent yn parhau i'w dangos i gleifion Cymru. Nawr, gadewch inni fod yn onest, ni wnaeth y gwasanaeth iechyd yma yng Nghymru o dan y Llywodraeth Lafur hon yng Nghymru ddechrau'r pandemig ar y droed flaen. Ni chyrhaeddwyd y targed o 95 y cant o gleifion yn treulio llai na phedair awr mewn adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys erioed. Nid oedd amseroedd aros canser wedi'u cyrraedd ers 10 mlynedd. Roedd gan 42 y cant o bobl yng Nghymru angen nas diwallwyd am ffisiotherapi o'i gymharu â 30 y cant yn Lloegr, ac roedd gan Betsi Cadwaladr, fy mwrdd iechyd fy hun, amseroedd aros erchyll ym mis Chwefror: 508 o lwybrau cleifion yn aros dros 36 wythnos i ddechrau triniaeth clustiau, trwyn a gwddw, 903 ar gyfer wroleg, a 3,192 ar gyfer triniaeth trawma ac orthopedeg. Fel y dywedodd Andrew R.T. Davies yn hollol gywir, unigolion yw'r rhain. Mae eu bywydau'n cael eu effeithio'n ddyddiol. Yn anffodus, er gwaethaf ymdrechion diflino ein gweithwyr rheng flaen, mae effaith y pandemig ar yr unigolion hyn yn ddinistriol. Mae amseroedd aros i'r rhai sy'n aros mwy na 36 wythnos wedi cynyddu wyth gwaith; mae 168,944 o bobl wedi bod yn aros mwy na 36 wythnos am driniaeth. Yn wir, roedd cyfanswm y cleifion a oedd yn aros i ddechrau triniaeth erbyn diwedd Medi 2020 dros 0.5 miliwn. Nawr, fel y gŵyr y Gweinidog, rwyf wedi ysgrifennu ato droeon gydag etholwyr y cofnodwyd eu bod bellach wedi aros blynyddoedd am lawdriniaeth orthopedig, a rhaid inni nodi adroddiad BBC Wales, sy'n dangos cynnydd ddengwaith cymaint yn nifer y cleifion sy'n aros am driniaeth o unrhyw fath yn GIG Cymru o'i gymharu â mis Medi 2019. Nawr, nid canfyddiadau newydd yw'r rhain, ac nid ydym yn diystyru effaith COVID-19, ond mewn gwirionedd, cafwyd rhybuddion ynglŷn ag ôl-groniadau yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud cyntaf. Dywedodd Coleg Brenhinol yr Ymarferwyr Cyffredinol fod cynnydd sylweddol yn nifer y marwolaethau o ganlyniad i strôc yn ystod yr epidemig ffliw yn y DU yn 2009. Felly, mae perygl y bydd y pwyslais amlwg ar gleifion COVID yn arwain at oedi triniaeth ar gyfer cyflyrau iechyd eraill os na chaniateir i gleifion droi at ofal sylfaenol. Tynnodd Asthma UK a Sefydliad Prydeinig yr Ysgyfaint sylw at bryderon difrifol fod pobl â chlefyd cronig yr ysgyfaint mewn mwy o berygl o waethygiad y gellid ei atal yn eu hiechyd. Nododd Sefydliad Prydeinig y Galon y gallai'r gostyngiad o 20 y cant yn nifer y bobl a welir mewn ysbytai ledled Cymru yr amheuir eu bod wedi cael trawiad ar y galon ers y cyfyngiadau symud egluro'n rhannol y cynnydd yn nifer y marwolaethau na ellir eu priodoli i COVID-19 ar hyn o bryd. Nawr, er fy mod yn cytuno bod llawer o driniaethau wedi'u cau ar ddechrau'r cyfyngiadau symud, yn amlwg, er mwyn sicrhau diogelwch cleifion, mae angen gweithredu ar frys yn awr i ailddechrau rhai o'r gwasanaethau hyn. Yn wahanol i'r Gweinidog, credaf y byddai'n synhwyrol rhoi cynllun ar waith i fynd i'r afael ag ôl-groniad y rhestrau aros. Dylech roi hwb ar unwaith i'r defnydd o ysbytai sy'n rhydd o COVID. Fel yr argymhellwyd gan Goleg Brenhinol y Llawfeddygon a Choleg Brenhinol Meddygaeth Frys ledled y DU, gallai sefydlu ardaloedd ysbytai sy'n rhydd o COVID-19 atal 6,000 o farwolaethau diangen yn gysylltiedig â COVID-19 - hyn ar ôl llawdriniaeth canser - dros y flwyddyn nesaf. Ar 31 Gorffennaf, cyhoeddodd GIG Lloegr drydydd cam ei ymateb i COVID-19, a oedd yn canolbwyntio'n benodol ar y capasiti sydd ar gael i sicrhau bod lefelau agos i'r arfer o wasanaethau iechyd nad ydynt yn rhai COVID yn dychwelyd. Ond o'i gymharu â hyn, rydym wedi gweld Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei chael hi'n anodd gweithredu'n gyflym. Felly, erbyn 28 Awst, nid oedd gwelyau cyffredinol ac acíwt ar gael mewn ysbytai maes. Roedd hyn yn wir am bron i ddau fis tan 15 Hydref, pan ddaeth 115 o welyau ar gael. Mae hynny'n llai na hanner y capasiti a welwyd ar anterth y pandemig. Mae'r methiant hwnnw i beidio â defnyddio capasiti ysbytai annibynnol a maes yn gyson, cyn yr ail don, wedi rhoi pwysau ar ein hysbytai presennol yn ystod yr ail don. Mae difrifoldeb y sefyllfa hon yn glir wrth inni ystyried y gallai 2,000 o bobl farw oherwydd oedi sy'n gysylltiedig â COVID yn GIG Cymru. Mae gan yr Alban a Lloegr gynlluniau adfer canser ar waith ers sawl mis, ond nid yma. Felly, rwy'n llwyr gefnogi'r galwadau am gynllun ac ymgyrch genedlaethol i sicrhau bod pobl sy'n amau bod ganddynt ganser a bod angen iddynt fynd i'r ysbyty yn gwneud hynny. Argymhellodd hyd yn oed Cymorth Canser Macmillan y mis diwethaf fod yn rhaid i chi ymrwymo i gynllun clir ac adnoddau i gefnogi'r gwaith o ddarparu capasiti ymchwydd. Hoffwn gloi drwy nodi bod y camau brys rydym yn gofyn amdanynt yn rhai ymarferol. Gwrthwynebiad adeiladol yw hwn. Caiff ei gefnogi gan sefydliadau iechyd, a gallwn roi hwb ymarferol hefyd i'r defnydd o ysbytai sy'n rhydd o COVID ledled Cymru drwy sicrhau bod gan fyrddau iechyd bolisïau clir ar fynd i'r afael â gofynion profi a'u hamlder ar gyfer staff a chleifion; cyflenwadau o gyfarpar diogelu personol a chyflenwadau llawfeddygol digonol a pholisïau clir ar ba bryd a sut i'w defnyddio; cydgysylltu lleol i sicrhau bod llwybrau gofal cleifion yn cael eu rheoli'n briodol; defnyddio ysbytai y sector annibynnol i hybu capasiti; ac ysbytai Nightingale i barhau'n weithredol. Os gwelwch yn dda, Weinidog, gadewch i bawb ohonom weithio gyda'n gilydd ym mhob man yn awr i ymdrin â'r sefyllfa sy'n ein hwynebu gyda COVID, ond gadewch i driniaethau arferol ysbytai y mae'r cyhoedd yng Nghymru eu hangen barhau a gadewch iddynt gael triniaethau mawr eu hangen. Diolch.