English: It's nearly 11 months since the first COVID patient was identified here in Wales. Since then, in a year like no other, our NHS and social care workforce have strived to do all they can to keep us safe. They have faced unimaginable challenges and pressures, and for many, those stresses have been taking their toll on them personally and on their families. I wanted to use my time today to bring their experiences of this pandemic into the Senedd Chamber. We have a duty to understand the reality of the situation that our laws create, and the impact that it's having on the health and well-being of those who are doing all they can to look after us. Many of our NHS front-line staff have, after finishing their shifts, used their position to let many of us know what their experiences are, challenging misinformation and perceptions. Hearing from those on the front line is essential. Two of those who've done so much are intensive therapy unit consultant Dr Ami Jones and theatre operator Glenn Dene. They have recently published a photo book, Behind the Mask: The NHS Family and the Fight with COVID-19. All proceeds are going to NHS charities. Many of you will have seen the images taken by Glenn in the news recently. The book details the heartbreaking reality inside Nevill Hall and the Grange University Hospital, capturing the light and the dark, both the harrowing struggle and the glimmers of hope, showing us the real truth and tragedy of this crisis. Some photographs show moments of positivity, such as staff tenderly supporting each other through difficult moments and babies being born. But more harrowing images include COVID patients on ventilators and a body on a mortuary trolley. I had hoped to be able to show the photos while I spoke this evening, but we're unfortunately unable to do this. I will, however, show some of them via my social media. In her own words, Dr Ami Jones states: 'This is probably one of the worst - and also best - times in the history of the NHS. The way that teams have come together to adapt and overcome is very positive - but it's clearly a dark time in the NHS. So sadness and happiness when you look back at the photos, really.' Back in the spring last year, the arrival of COVID-19 saw many processes done in the NHS that would normally have taken years to implement undertaken in weeks. This is the same for staff. They have adjusted, trained and taken on new responsibilities. They have risen without question to the challenges COVID has brought. New starters have had 10 years' experience in six months. Dr Ami Jones describes the start of the pandemic response like this: 'The hospital moved swiftly. Wards were reorganised and spaces identified that could be turned into new ITUs. The hospital was divided into an area where COVID patients could be treated and areas where other patients would continue to receive medical care. Despite elective operations and routine clinical appointments being cancelled and COVID seeming to be all-encompassing, people were still going to need emergency surgery, and women still had babies to deliver. What was odd about most of these patients was that they were so young and fit compared to our usual ITU population, but we soon learned that no-one is really safe from COVID. 'Patients were quite rightly scared at the thought of going onto a ventilator, and we've always tried to make time for the patient to ring or video call home and speak to loved ones before we took them to ITU. Sadly, we know that approximately 50 per cent of patients entering ITU due to COVID won't leave again, so a precious few moments for the patient to speak to or even maybe see their families was vital, if possible. Without relatives being allowed into the hospital, having to do this over the phone is heartbreaking, and probably the cruellest twist of all. But the patient will not die alone. The nurses will always be there, holding their hands and talking to them until the end.
Welsh: Mae bron i 11 mis ers canfod y claf COVID cyntaf yma yng Nghymru. Ers hynny, mewn blwyddyn na welwyd mo'i thebyg, mae ein gweithlu GIG a gofal cymdeithasol wedi ymdrechu i wneud popeth yn eu gallu i'n cadw'n ddiogel. Maent wedi wynebu heriau a phwysau na ellir eu dychmygu, ac i lawer, mae'r straen wedi gadael ei ôl arnynt yn bersonol ac ar eu teuluoedd. Roeddwn am ddefnyddio fy amser heddiw i ddod â'u profiadau o'r pandemig hwn i Siambr y Senedd. Mae gennym ddyletswydd i ddeall realiti'r sefyllfa y mae ein cyfreithiau yn ei chreu, a'r effaith y mae'n ei chael ar iechyd a lles y rhai sy'n gwneud popeth yn eu gallu i ofalu amdanom. Mae llawer o staff rheng flaen y GIG, ar ôl gorffen eu sifftiau, wedi defnyddio eu sefyllfa i roi gwybod i lawer ohonom beth yw eu profiadau, gan herio camwybodaeth a chanfyddiadau anghywir. Mae clywed gan y rhai ar y rheng flaen yn hanfodol. Dau o'r rhai sydd wedi gwneud cymaint yw'r meddyg ymgynghorol uned therapi dwys, Dr Ami Jones, a'r gweithredwr theatr, Glenn Dene. Yn ddiweddar, maent wedi cyhoeddi llyfr lluniau, Behind the Mask: The NHS Family and the Fight with COVID-19. Mae'r holl elw'n mynd at elusennau'r GIG. Bydd llawer ohonoch wedi gweld y lluniau a dynnwyd gan Glenn yn y newyddion yn ddiweddar. Mae'r llyfr yn manylu ar y realiti torcalonnus y tu mewn i Nevill Hall ac Ysbyty Athrofaol y Faenor, gan ddarlunio'r goleuni a'r tywyllwch, y frwydr ddirdynnol a'r llygedyn o obaith, a dangos gwirionedd real a thrychineb yr argyfwng hwn i ni. Mae rhai ffotograffau'n dangos eiliadau calonogol, fel staff yn cynnal ei gilydd yn dyner drwy adegau anodd a babanod yn cael eu geni. Ond mae lluniau mwy dirdynnol yn cynnwys cleifion COVID ar beiriannau anadlu a chorff ar droli corffdy. Roeddwn wedi gobeithio gallu dangos y lluniau wrth i mi siarad heno, ond nid ydym yn gallu gwneud hynny, yn anffodus. Fodd bynnag, byddaf yn dangos rhai ohonynt ar fy nghyfryngau cymdeithasol. Yn ei geiriau ei hun, dywed Dr Ami Jones: Mae'n debyg mai dyma un o'r adegau gwaethaf - a'r gorau hefyd - yn hanes y GIG. Mae'r ffordd y mae timau wedi dod at ei gilydd i addasu a goresgyn yn gadarnhaol iawn - ond mae'n amlwg yn gyfnod tywyll yn y GIG. Felly tristwch a hapusrwydd pan fyddwch chi'n edrych nôl ar y lluniau. Nôl yn ystod y gwanwyn y llynedd, arweiniodd ymddangosiad COVID-19 at weld llawer o brosesau yn y GIG a fyddai fel arfer wedi cymryd blynyddoedd i'w gweithredu yn cael eu rhoi ar waith o fewn wythnosau'n unig. Mae hynny yr un mor wir i staff. Maent wedi addasu, hyfforddi ac ysgwyddo cyfrifoldebau newydd. Maent wedi wynebu'n ddi-gwestiwn yr heriau y mae COVID wedi'u creu. Mae'r rhai sydd wedi dechrau o'r newydd wedi cael 10 mlynedd o brofiad mewn chwe mis. Mae Dr Ami Jones yn disgrifio dechrau'r ymateb i'r pandemig fel hyn: Symudodd yr ysbyty'n gyflym. Ad-drefnwyd wardiau a nodwyd mannau y gellid eu troi'n unedau therapi dwys newydd. Rhannwyd yr ysbyty yn ardal lle gellid trin cleifion COVID ac ardaloedd lle byddai cleifion eraill yn parhau i dderbyn gofal meddygol. Er bod llawdriniaethau dewisol ac apwyntiadau clinigol rheolaidd wedi cael eu canslo a bod COVID yn ymddangos fel pe bai'n cael y sylw i gyd, roedd pobl yn dal i fod angen llawdriniaeth frys, ac roedd menywod yn dal i fod angen rhoi genedigaeth. Yr hyn a oedd yn rhyfedd am y rhan fwyaf o'r cleifion hyn oedd eu bod mor ifanc a heini o gymharu â'n poblogaeth arferol mewn unedau therapi dwys, ond yn fuan cawsom wybod nad oes neb yn berffaith ddiogel rhag COVID. Yn gwbl briodol, roedd ofn ar gleifion wrth feddwl am fynd ar beiriant anadlu, ac rydym bob amser wedi ceisio gwneud amser i'r claf ffonio neu wneud galwad fideo adref a siarad ag anwyliaid cyn i ni fynd â hwy i'r uned therapi dwys. Yn anffodus, gwyddom na fydd tua 50 y cant o'r cleifion sy'n mynd i mewn i uned therapi dwys oherwydd COVID yn dod oddi yno, felly mae ychydig funudau gwerthfawr i'r claf siarad â'u teuluoedd neu hyd yn oed i weld eu teuluoedd yn hanfodol, os yn bosibl. Pan nad yw perthnasau'n cael mynd i mewn i'r ysbyty, mae gorfod gwneud hyn dros y ffôn yn dorcalonnus, ac mae'n debyg mai dyna'r peth creulonaf oll. Ond ni fydd y claf yn marw ar ei ben ei hun. Bydd y nyrsys yno bob amser, yn dal eu dwylo ac yn siarad â hwy tan y diwedd.