English: I'm very grateful, Minister, for the briefings that have been provided on this report, although I think that we must remember - and, once again, I wish to extend my deepest, deepest sympathies to all of those affected - the distress at the failings the maternity services in Cwm Taf have brought to many, many parents and at a time when it should have been one of the most joyful times of their lives. I must admit, I've also been surprised to read headlines in the media following publication of the update that said it had made significant progress, because my reading of this is that the panel are cautiously optimistic, and that's where I think we really need to set our expectations. I do want to pay tribute to the work of the independent maternity services oversight panel. They've used their experience to help drive change in this health board. Can I also, Minister, take this opportunity to praise the hardworking front-line staff who must have found the criticism and failings of maternity services at this health board very upsetting and demoralising? I hope that the positives from this report demonstrate that a corner has been turned and that maternity services and, indeed, the whole of the health board are now all pulling in the right direction and that there is a real review going on throughout not just the maternity services but elsewhere in the board. I was very pleased to hear that staffing levels are now at an appropriate level and that twice-weekly patient advice and liaison service surveys have been consistently positive. It was also very reassuring, Deputy Presiding Officer, to hear of the positive feedback following the CHC's unannounced visits and the positive reports from HIW as to the Tirion Birth Centre at the Royal Glamorgan. I do, however, reserve judgment on how much things have changed until we get to hear of the report that is due at the end of this month on the maternity unit at Prince Charles itself. There do remain areas of concern, especially relating to that pace of change and the speed of response to requests for information provided to the panel, so I just have a few questions here, Minister. I understand that the panel have only been able to sign off 25 out of the 79 actions they requested that the board should complete. Some of these actions that remain unapproved include improvements in training, clinical governance and clinical audits. Are you satisfied with the pace of progress, and what time frames do you have in mind to get the rest of these actions approved? I remain concerned to read, Minister, that there is still a need for more pace and better administrative discipline in the way that the change process is being managed by the health board. Specifically that there has not been as much progress on the integrated performance assessment and assurance framework, which enables long-term improvement in outcomes to be monitored and assessed. This has been requested to be achieved by December, but it's been put back to April. I would have thought that this was actually key to driving that change through and I wonder if you can tell us what assurances you can give us that that April deadline will be achieved, having been delayed once already. The panel also noted that there was still work to be done to develop the maternity improvement plan into a responsible plan with clear milestones, targets and deliverables. Again, Minister, I find it concerning that this is not yet in play and the absence of it, I would suggest to you, gives off some really mixed messages. Because having that maternity improvement plan when this whole issue is about the delivery of maternity services would be key. We need to rebuild trust in the system. We need to ensure that families feel confident going forward. I would like it if you could give us an update on when you would expect that to happen. The handling of complaints and concerns remains inconsistent. There are still significant challenges in terms of addressing that historical backlog of complaints and it's simply not good enough. This should have been a matter of priority to help grieving parents move forward. Because we all know when we have constituents come to see us about any issue where they think there's been a miscarriage of justice, that it's very hard to move on. And these parents are stuck in a time warp. I understood from a news article yesterday that there was a mother who lost her premature baby in 2015. The health board agreed they'd breached their duty of care, but she is yet to receive an apology from the board. I think we really need to move forward at pace on this. There have been gaps in capacity and capability within the improvement team. For example, they had to defer the implementation of the clinical review programme by one month because the panel was not confident that the health board had the necessary arrangements in place to support and ensure that the needs of women and families could be met. So, could you please give us an update on whether or not you believe that the improvement team is now fit for purpose and can deliver this? Finally, Minister, I do accept that welcome changes have been made, but there are still fundamental issues, issues that permeate the whole of the health board. We have seen small cracks and larger cracks, perhaps, even, arise in other areas. Many of the key personnel have changed and I welcome this. I accept that replacements take time to settle in, get their feet under the table and pick up and move forward. But are you confident - really confident - that the new-shape board, with the chair who oversaw some of the stuff that happened previously, are in the right place and that we've got the right personnel at a really senior level to now drive this forward? Because we need to be able to close the chapter on this really sad chapter in NHS delivery of care to mothers and families.
Welsh: Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn, Gweinidog, am y sesiynau briffio sydd wedi'u darparu ar yr adroddiad hwn, er fy mod yn credu bod yn rhaid i ni gofio - ac, unwaith eto, hoffwn estyn fy nghydymdeimlad dwysaf a chywiraf i bawb yr effeithir arnynt - y loes ynghylch y diffygion y mae gwasanaethau mamolaeth yng Nghwm Taf wedi ei beri i lawer iawn, iawn o rieni ac ar adeg a ddylai fod yn un o'r adegau mwyaf llawen yn eu bywydau. Mae'n rhaid i mi gyfaddef, rwyf hefyd wedi synnu o ddarllen penawdau yn y cyfryngau yn dilyn cyhoeddi'r diweddariad oedd yn dweud ei fod wedi gwneud cynnydd sylweddol, oherwydd fy nealltwriaeth i o hynny hyn yw bod y panel yn lled-gadarnhaol, a dyna rwy'n credu dylai fod yn sylfaen i'n disgwyliadau. Rwyf eisiau talu teyrnged i waith y panel trosolwg annibynnol ar wasanaethau mamolaeth. Maen nhw wedi defnyddio'u profiad i helpu i ysgogi newid yn y bwrdd iechyd hwn. A gaf i hefyd, Gweinidog, fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i ganmol y staff rheng flaen diwyd y mae'n rhaid eu bod wedi teimlo loes calon a digalondid mawr oherwydd methiannau gwasanaethau mamolaeth yn y bwrdd iechyd hwn a'r beirniadu a fu arnynt? Gobeithiaf fod agweddau cadarnhaol yr adroddiad hwn yn dangos bod pethau'n dechrau gwella a bod gwasanaethau mamolaeth ac, yn wir, y bwrdd iechyd cyfan bellach yn gwneud cynnydd a bod adolygiad gwirioneddol yn cael ei gynnal nid yn unig ym mhob agwedd ar y gwasanaethau mamolaeth ond mewn mannau eraill yn y bwrdd. Roeddwn yn falch iawn o glywed bod y lefel staffio bellach ar raddfa briodol a bod arolygon ddwywaith yr wythnos o wasanaethau cyngor a chyswllt â chleifion wedi bod yn gyson gadarnhaol. Roedd hi hefyd yn galonogol iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd, clywed am yr adborth cadarnhaol yn dilyn ymweliadau dirybudd y cyngor iechyd cymuned a'r adroddiadau cadarnhaol gan Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru ynglŷn â Chanolfan Eni Tirion yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg. Rwyf, fodd bynnag, yn gochel rhag barnu faint y mae pethau wedi newid nes inni glywed am yr adroddiad sydd i'w gyhoeddi ddiwedd y mis hwn am yr uned famolaeth yn Ysbyty y Tywysog Siarl ei hun. Mae meysydd sy'n peri pryder o hyd, yn enwedig mewn cysylltiad â chyflymder y newid a chyflymder yr ymateb i geisiadau am wybodaeth a ddarperir i'r panel, felly, mae gennyf ambell gwestiwn yn y fan yma, Gweinidog. Deallaf nad yw'r panel ond wedi gallu cymeradwyo 25 o'r 79 cam gweithredu y gwnaethant gais i'r bwrdd eu cwblhau. Mae rhai o'r camau gweithredu hyn sy'n parhau heb eu cymeradwyo yn cynnwys gwelliannau mewn hyfforddiant, llywodraethu clinigol ac archwiliadau clinigol. Ydych chi'n fodlon â chyflymder y cynnydd, a pha amserlenni sydd gennych chi mewn golwg i gymeradwyo gweddill y camau hyn? Rwy'n dal yn bryderus o ddarllen, Gweinidog, fod angen cyflymu pethau a gwell disgyblaeth weinyddol o hyd yn y ffordd y caiff y broses newid ei rheoli gan y bwrdd iechyd. Yn benodol, ni fu cymaint o gynnydd yn y fframwaith sicrwydd na chyda'r asesiad perfformiad integredig, sy'n fodd o fonitro ac asesu gwelliant hirdymor mewn canlyniadau. Gofynnwyd am gyflawni hyn erbyn mis Rhagfyr, ond mae wedi cael ei ohirio i fis Ebrill. Byddwn wedi meddwl bod hyn yn allweddol mewn gwirionedd i gyflawni'r newid hwnnw; tybed a wnewch chi ddweud wrthym ni pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei roi inni y caiff y terfyn amser hwnnw ei gyflawni, ar ôl cael ei ohirio unwaith yn barod. Dywedodd y panel hefyd fod gwaith i'w wneud o hyd i ddatblygu'r cynllun gwella gwasanaethau mamolaeth yn gynllun cyfrifol gyda cherrig milltir, targedau a chanlyniadau clir. Unwaith eto, Gweinidog, mae'n peri pryder imi nad yw hyn ar waith eto ac mae'r ffaith nad yw'n bod, byddwn yn awgrymu i chi, yn rhoi negeseuon cymysg iawn. Gan y byddai cael y cynllun gwella gwasanaethau mamolaeth hwnnw pan fo'r holl fater hwn yn ymwneud â darparu gwasanaethau mamolaeth yn allweddol. Mae angen inni ailennyn ymddiriedaeth yn y system. Mae angen i ni sicrhau bod teuluoedd yn teimlo'n ffyddiog yn y dyfodol. Hoffwn pe baech chi'n rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni ynghylch pryd yr ydych chi'n disgwyl i hynny ddigwydd. Mae'r dull o ymdrin â chwynion a phryderon yn parhau'n anghyson. Mae heriau sylweddol o hyd o ran mynd i'r afael â'r ôl-groniad hanesyddol o gwynion ac nid yw'n ddigon da. Dylai hyn fod wedi bod yn fater o flaenoriaeth i helpu rhieni sy'n galaru i symud ymlaen. Oherwydd rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod pan ddaw etholwyr i'n gweld ni am unrhyw fater pryd byddant yn credu y bu camweinyddiad cyfiawnder, ei bod hi'n anodd iawn symud ymlaen. Ac ni all y rhieni hyn wneud hynny. Deallais o ddarllen erthygl newyddion ddoe fod mam wedi colli ei baban cynamserol yn 2015. Cytunodd y bwrdd iechyd eu bod wedi torri eu dyletswydd gofal, ond nid yw hi eto wedi cael ymddiheuriad gan y bwrdd. Rwy'n credu bod gwir angen i ni wneud cynnydd cyflym yn hyn o beth. Bu bylchau o ran capasiti a gallu o fewn y tîm gwella. Er enghraifft, bu'n rhaid iddynt ohirio'r broses o weithredu'r rhaglen adolygiadau clinigol o un mis gan nad oedd y panel yn ffyddiog bod gan y bwrdd iechyd y trefniadau angenrheidiol ar waith i gefnogi a sicrhau y gellid diwallu anghenion menywod a theuluoedd. Felly, a wnewch chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni ynghylch a ydych chi'n credu bod y tîm gwella bellach yn addas at y diben ac a all gyflawni hyn? Yn olaf, Gweinidog, rwyf yn derbyn bod newidiadau derbyniol wedi'u gwneud, ond mae problemau sylfaenol o hyd, sef materion sy'n treiddio drwy'r holl fwrdd iechyd. Gwelsom ddiffygion bach a diffygion mwy, efallai, hyd yn oed, mewn meysydd eraill. Mae llawer o'r personél allweddol wedi newid ac rwy'n croesawu hyn. Rwy'n derbyn bod angen amser i staff newydd ymgartrefu, ymgynefino, bwrw iddi a symud ymlaen. Ond a ydych chi'n ffyddiog - yn wirioneddol ffyddiog - fod y bwrdd newydd, gyda'r Cadeirydd a fu'n goruchwylio rhai o'r pethau a ddigwyddodd o'r blaen, mewn sefyllfa briodol, a bod gennym y personél cywir mewn swyddi dylanwadol iawn i gael y maen hwn i'r wal nawr? Oherwydd mae angen i ni allu cau pen y mwdl ar y bennod drist iawn hon o ran darparu gofal i famau a theuluoedd yn y GIG.