English: Although the UK Government announced an independent public inquiry into its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK in May 2021 and, three months later, the Scottish First Minister announced the creation of a Scotland-focused investigation into the impact of Scottish Government decisions on how the pandemic was handled, the Welsh Government has repeatedly denied our requests for an independent public inquiry into the handling of the pandemic in Wales. As one constituent told me, 'I lost my father to COVID-19 in November 2021. He was released from hospital into my care around four hours before passing away at home. I've been astounded that the Welsh Government have refused their own inquiry into the handling of the pandemic.' After breaking his femur in November 2020, another constituent, Mr John Evans, was ambulanced to Wrexham Maelor Hospital, where he caught COVID after being placed in a ward next to a patient who was continually coughing. He died in June this year, following damage caused by long COVID to his brain stem, spinal column, heart and lungs and the original injury of thigh and leg. As his widow, Mrs Kathleen Evans stated, 'There needs to be an inquiry in Wales as to why, why, why so many people died in Welsh hospitals - people like John, who followed Mr Drakeford's and the Welsh Government's guidance and were failed despite doing everything correctly.' The cross-party group on hospice and palliative care will shortly launch the report on our inquiry into experiences of palliative and end-of-life care in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We received evidence showing, for example, that healthcare professionals in Wales were more likely to experience medication and staff shortages relative to other areas of the UK. On 28 April 2020, the UK Government announced that COVID testing would be extended to all care home staff and residents in England. In Wales, the First Minister said he saw no value in providing tests to everybody in care homes at that time. That was a pivotal moment for Mr and Mrs Hough, who ran Gwastad Hall nursing care home in Flintshire. It was not until 16 May 2020 that the Welsh Government brought in blanket testing for staff and care home residents. Five days later, Mr Hough killed himself. Twelve of their residents had died in those first few months of the pandemic. I subsequently asked the First Minister how he justified his continued rejection of the call by care home professionals for a Wales-specific public inquiry. Our call today for the establishment of a Wales COVID-19 inquiry special purposes committee therefore presents an opportunity for the Welsh Government to show that they are not afraid of accountability to people in Wales.
Welsh: Er i Lywodraeth y DU gyhoeddi ymchwiliad cyhoeddus annibynnol i'r ffordd yr ymdriniodd â'r pandemig COVID-19 yn y DU ym mis Mai 2021, a dri mis yn ddiweddarach, fod Prif Weinidog yr Alban wedi cyhoeddi y dylid creu ymchwiliad sy'n canolbwyntio ar yr Alban i effaith penderfyniadau Llywodraeth yr Alban ar sut yr ymdriniwyd â'r pandemig, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwrthod ein ceisiadau dro ar ôl tro am ymchwiliad cyhoeddus annibynnol i'r modd yr ymdriniwyd â'r pandemig yng Nghymru. Fel y dywedodd un etholwr wrthyf, 'Collais fy nhad i COVID-19 ym mis Tachwedd 2021. Cafodd ei ryddhau o'r ysbyty i fy ngofal tua phedair awr cyn marw gartref. Rwyf wedi fy syfrdanu bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwrthod eu hymchwiliad eu hunain i'r ffordd yr ymdriniodd â'r pandemig.' Ar ôl torri ei glun ym mis Tachwedd 2020, cafodd etholwr arall, Mr John Evans, ei gludo mewn ambiwlans i Ysbyty Maelor Wrecsam, lle daliodd COVID ar ôl cael ei roi mewn ward wrth ymyl claf a oedd yn peswch yn barhaus. Bu farw ym mis Mehefin eleni yn dilyn niwed a achoswyd gan COVID hir i goesyn ei ymennydd, ei asgwrn cefn, y galon a'r ysgyfaint a'r anaf gwreiddiol i'w glun a'i goes. Fel y dywedodd ei weddw, Mrs Kathleen Evans, 'Mae angen ymchwiliad yng Nghymru i weld pam, pam, pam fod cymaint o bobl wedi marw yn ysbytai Cymru - pobl fel John, a ddilynodd ganllawiau Mr Drakeford a Llywodraeth Cymru ac a gafodd gam er iddynt wneud popeth yn gywir.' Cyn hir, bydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar ofal hosbis a gofal lliniarol yn lansio'r adroddiad ar ein hymchwiliad i brofiadau o ofal lliniarol a gofal diwedd oes yn y gymuned yn ystod y pandemig COVID-19. Fe gawsom dystiolaeth yn dangos, er enghraifft, fod gweithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol yng Nghymru yn fwy tebygol o brofi prinder meddyginiaeth a phrinder staff o'i gymharu ag ardaloedd eraill yn y DU. Ar 28 Ebrill 2020, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth y DU y byddai profion COVID yn cael eu cynnig i holl staff a phreswylwyr cartrefi gofal yn Lloegr. Yng Nghymru, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog nad oedd yn gweld unrhyw werth mewn darparu profion i bawb mewn cartrefi gofal ar y pryd. Roedd honno'n foment allweddol i Mr a Mrs Hough, a oedd yn rhedeg cartref gofal nyrsio Gwastad Hall yn sir y Fflint. Ni chyflwynodd Llywodraeth Cymru brofion i bawb o staff a phreswylwyr cartrefi gofal tan 16 Mai 2020. Bum diwrnod yn ddiweddarach, fe laddodd Mr Hough ei hun. Roedd 12 o'u preswylwyr wedi marw yn ystod misoedd cyntaf y pandemig. Gofynnais i'r Prif Weinidog wedi hynny sut y gallai gyfiawnhau'r ffaith ei fod yn parhau i wrthod yr alwad gan weithwyr cartrefi gofal am ymchwiliad cyhoeddus penodol i Gymru. Felly, mae ein galwad heddiw am sefydlu pwyllgor diben arbennig ymchwiliad COVID-19 Cymru yn gyfle i Lywodraeth Cymru ddangos nad ydynt yn ofni atebolrwydd i bobl yng Nghymru.