English: Minister, can I thank you for your statement this afternoon? I'm interested in your claim in regard to the information that you have had from health boards - that the average waiting time for people to be seen in long COVID services is 23 days. You also go on to compare this to a 15-week waiting time for access to specialist long COVID clinics that have been set up in parts of England. Can I ask you: are the two comparisons that you make on a like-for-like basis, and if they are not, can you set out the differences? A top story today, Minister, on the BBC, as I'm sure you would have seen, is the story of Sian Griffiths, a Welsh resident who has paid to see a consultant in Stoke-on-Trent instead of waiting 12 months - which is the claim in this case - on the Welsh NHS. So, can you perhaps explain the contrast of Sian's experience and story with the claim that the average waiting time for long COVID treatment is 23 days? I wonder what actions, in this regard, you would take, Minister, to ensure that Welsh patients don't have to travel long distances and travel to England in instances such as the one that has been set out in this particular story. Now, I'm not aware that the data that you mentioned from health boards is published, Minister, at all, so I wonder if you would agree to publishing this data so that we can examine this ourselves across the Senedd. Of course, many people who have or are suffering from long COVID talk of their frustrations and their struggles, of having to go for several tests at different times and in different places. They talk about the experience being exhausting, which I'm sure that you and I can appreciate. People who are struggling in this regard argue themselves that specialist clinics are needed, because people are very unwell and they're not able to negotiate a complex system of referrals to different places. So, I wonder if you would agree that it is better for those struggling in these particular situations to go to one place to be treated. I was interested in an initiative taking place in Essex for those struggling with long COVID and other lung conditions, where a mobile vehicle is available for support for at-risk patients - I'm assuming the mobile vehicle parks very near someone's home - because people are struggling to get to a GP or hospital themselves, and this detects, of course, various conditions, such as long COVID. It struck me that this might be a potential opportunity to introduce in areas of Wales, particularly rural areas, where people do have to travel a long time for hospital appointments and for GP services. Specialist centres, of course - . One of the arguments that is used in support of specialist centres is that doctors can develop expertise through the pooling of minds and resources to better understand the condition. So, can I ask how specialist experience is being developed here in Wales, Minister? In your statement, you say that some people have experienced such severe or long-lasting COVID symptoms that they've had an impact on their ability to work, and then you've gone on then to talk about that you're pleased that the NHS, employers and trade unions have worked together to review employment policies and procedures to ensure that healthcare staff are supported as much as possible. You mention, of course, healthcare staff there, but does this support extend to nurses in care homes that are not employed by the NHS? And of course the other issue, Minister, which I'm sure you'll appreciate as well, is that long COVID, of course, is not fully understood, and unfortunately the definitions differ around the world. So, measures of how common it is, or symptoms are, of course vary greatly, and it can be difficult for GPs to provide the right care and advice for patients. So, can I ask what conversations you've had with healthcare professionals in defining the symptoms of long COVID so that GPs and healthcare professionals can be supported? And finally, Minister, I'm aware that those that are suffering from long COVID are eligible for Department for Work and Pensions payments. Recipients will receive payments through personal independence payments that are designed to help those, of course, suffering from long-term conditions or a disability that affects their ability to carry out everyday tasks or move around. So, I wonder, finally: how is the Welsh Government ensuring that relevant bodies in Wales that are supporting people with long COVID are making people aware of these particular payments?
Welsh: Gweinidog, a gaf i ddiolch i chi am eich datganiad y prynhawn yma? Mae gennyf i ddiddordeb yn eich honiad ynglŷn â'r wybodaeth a gawsoch chi gan y byrddau iechyd - mai'r amser aros cyfartalog i bobl gael eu gweld gan wasanaethau COVID hir yw 23 diwrnod. Fe ewch chi ymlaen hefyd i gymharu hyn ag amser aros o 15 wythnos ar gyfer mynediad at glinigau COVID hir arbenigol a sefydliwyd mewn rhannau o Loegr. A gaf i ofyn i chi: a yw'r ddwy gymhariaeth a wnewch ar sail gyffelyb i'w gilydd, ac os nad ydyn nhw, a wnewch chi nodi'r gwahaniaethau? Un o'r prif straeon heddiw, Gweinidog, ar y BBC, fel gwelsoch chi, mae'n siŵr, yw stori Siân Griffiths, sy'n byw yng Nghymru ac sydd wedi talu i gael gweld ymgynghorydd yn Stoke-on-Trent yn hytrach nag aros 12 mis - sef yr hawliad yn yr achos hwn - yn GIG Cymru. Felly, a wnewch chi esbonio'r gwrthgyferbyniad, efallai, rhwng profiad a stori Siân a'r honiad mai 23 diwrnod yw'r amser aros cyfartalog am driniaeth ar gyfer COVID hir? Pa gamau, tybed, yn hyn o beth, y byddech chi'n eu cymryd, Gweinidog, i sicrhau nad oes yn rhaid i gleifion Cymru deithio yn bell na theithio i Loegr mewn achosion fel yr un a nodir yn y stori benodol hon? Nawr, nid wyf i'n ymwybodol bod y data yr ydych chi'n sôn amdano oddi wrth y byrddau iechyd wedi cael eu cyhoeddi o gwbl, Gweinidog, felly tybed a wnewch chi gytuno i gyhoeddi'r data hyn er mwyn i ni allu ymchwilio i hynny ein hunain ar draws y Senedd. Wrth gwrs, mae llawer o bobl sy'n dioddef oherwydd COVID hir, neu wedi gwneud hynny'n flaenorol, yn sôn am eu rhwystredigaethau a'u brwydrau nhw, o orfod mynd am sawl prawf ar wahanol amseroedd ac mewn gwahanol leoedd. Maen nhw'n sôn bod y profiad yn un blinedig, ac rwy'n siŵr y gallech chi a minnau ddeall hynny. Mae'r bobl sy'n dioddef oherwydd hyn eu hunain yn dadlau bod angen clinigau arbenigol, oherwydd fe all pobl fod yn sâl iawn ac yn analluog i negodi system gymhleth o atgyfeiriadau i wahanol leoedd. Felly, tybed a fyddech chi'n cytuno y byddai hi'n well i'r rhai sy'n dioddef yn y sefyllfaoedd penodol hyn allu mynd i un lle ar gyfer eu triniaeth. Roedd gennyf i ddiddordeb mewn menter sy'n digwydd yn Essex ar gyfer rhai sy'n dioddef oherwydd COVID hir neu gyflyrau eraill yr ysgyfaint, lle mae cerbyd symudol ar gael i gael cymorth i gleifion sydd mewn perygl - rwy'n cymryd bod y cerbyd symudol yn gallu parcio yn agos iawn at gartref rhywun - am fod pobl yn ei chael hi'n anodd mynd i weld meddyg teulu neu i'r ysbyty eu hunain, ac mae'r fenter honno'n darganfod cyflyrau amrywiol, fel COVID hir, wrth gwrs. Yr hyn a oedd yn fy nharo i oedd y gallai menter fel honno gael ei chyflwyno, o bosibl, mewn ardaloedd yng Nghymru, ac mewn ardaloedd gwledig yn arbennig, lle mae'n rhaid i bobl deithio ffordd bell am eu hapwyntiadau ysbyty ac ar gyfer gwasanaethau meddygon teulu. Canolfannau arbenigol, wrth gwrs - . Un o'r dadleuon a ddefnyddir i gefnogi canolfannau arbenigol yw y gall meddygon ddatblygu arbenigedd drwy gyfuno meddyliau ac adnoddau ar gyfer deall y cyflwr yn well. Felly, a gaf i ofyn sut mae profiad arbenigol yn cael ei ddatblygu yma yng Nghymru, Gweinidog? Yn eich datganiad, rydych chi'n dweud bod rhai pobl wedi dioddef symptomau COVID mor ddifrifol neu hirhoedlog fel bod hynny wedi cael effaith ar eu gallu nhw i weithio, ac fe aethoch chi ymlaen wedyn i fynegi eich balchder oherwydd bod y GIG, cyflogwyr, ac undebau llafur wedi gweithio gyda'i gilydd i adolygu polisïau a gweithdrefnau cyflogaeth i sicrhau bod staff gofal iechyd yn cael cymaint o gefnogaeth â phosibl. Wrth gwrs, am staff gofal iechyd yr ydych chi'n sôn, ond a yw'r cymorth hwn yn ymestyn at nyrsys mewn cartrefi gofal nad ydyn nhw'n cael eu cyflogi gan y GIG? Ac wrth gwrs, y mater arall, Gweinidog, yr wyf i'n siŵr ei bod chi'n ei ddeall hefyd, yw nad ydym ni'n llawn ddeall COVID hir eto, wrth gwrs, ac yn anffodus mae'r diffiniadau yn amrywio drwy'r byd. Felly, mae'r mesurau o pa mor gyffredin ydyw, neu pa mor gyffredin yw'r symptomau, yn amlwg yn amrywio llawer, ac fe all hi fod yn anodd i feddygon teulu roi'r gofal a'r cyngor cywir i gleifion. Felly, a gaf i ofyn pa sgyrsiau a gawsoch chi gyda gweithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol wrth ddiffinio symptomau COVID hir i allu rhoi cefnogaeth i feddygon teulu a gweithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol? Ac yn olaf, Gweinidog, rwy'n ymwybodol bod y rhai sy'n dioddef o COVID hir yn gymwys i gael taliadau oddi wrth yr Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau. Fe fydd y sawl sy'n eu derbyn yn cael taliadau drwy gyfrwng taliadau annibyniaeth bersonol a gynllunnir i helpu'r rhai, wrth gwrs, sy'n dioddef o gyflyrau hirdymor neu anabledd sy'n effeithio ar eu gallu nhw i gyflawni tasgau bob dydd neu symud o gwmpas. Felly, tybed, yn olaf: sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru am sicrhau bod y cyrff perthnasol yng Nghymru sy'n cefnogi pobl â COVID hir yn gwneud pobl yn ymwybodol o'r taliadau arbennig hyn?