English: This has been the most challenging of times for the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board, and the progress report on maternity services highlights the impact the pandemic has had on its ability to maintain pace in securing improvement. That said, I am sure that we're all encouraged by the panel's confirmation that, despite this, the health board has continued to make incremental progress in improving its maternity services, with a further five of the royal colleges' recommendations delivered - so, that's 55 out of 70. Importantly, they're also satisfied that the improvements made over the past two and a half years are now firmly embedded in practice, ensuring sustainable change. I'm particularly heartened to see that there's been a fundamental shift in the way in which the health board engages with women and families. But we can't forget the past, and alongside this progress update, the 'Thematic Stillbirth Category Report', detailing the findings and learnings from 63 episodes of care that tragically resulted in a stillbirth, makes for particularly difficult reading. And whilst the findings are in line with those of the previous royal colleges' review and, indeed, similar reviews across the UK, this will not make it any easier to bear for the women and the families affected. It's tragic that in one in three episodes of care, it is possible that the poor outcome may have been avoided if the care had been different. There were also minor modifiable factors identified in almost two thirds of the episodes of care reviewed. Although these were unlikely to have contributed to the poor outcome, these findings highlight many deficiencies in the quality of care women experienced and the standards they had a right to expect. I was particularly saddened to read the feedback from those women and families who shared their stories, which reinforced this further, and I am truly sorry for this. Whilst nothing can change what they've experienced, I hope that the improvements that have happened as a result are of some comfort to them. And can I just say that I can't begin to imagine the pain that those women and those families who are grieving the loss of their babies still endure. We can't underestimate either how difficult these findings will be for staff. I firmly believe the vast majority of staff go to work every day in our NHS to do a good job. It's the system in which they work that can prevent them from providing the best possible care. The commitment of staff in ensuring a continued focus on improvement, despite the operational pressures they have faced, shows this to be the case. Whilst much has been achieved, the report reminds us there is still more to do, with the focus now very much on shifting to a more holistic, longer term continuous improvement approach. Key to this is building greater integration between neonatal and maternity services. Members will already be aware that the panel has already turned its focus to the neonatal service. The individual clinical reviews within the neonatal category are progressing, and the panel has advised me that they're aiming to begin sharing findings with women and families early in the new year.
Welsh: Mae hwn wedi bod yn gyfnod eithriadol o heriol i fwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg, ac mae'r adroddiad ar gynnydd o ran gwasanaethau mamolaeth yn tanlinellu'r effaith a gafodd y pandemig ar ei allu i gynnal cyflymder y broses o sicrhau gwelliant. Wedi dweud hynny, rwy'n siŵr ein bod ni i gyd yn cael ein calonogi wrth i'r panel gadarnhau bod y bwrdd iechyd, er gwaethaf hyn, wedi dal ati i wneud cynnydd eto o ran gwella ei wasanaethau mamolaeth, gyda phump o argymhellion eraill gan y colegau brenhinol yn cael eu cyflawni - felly, dyna 55 o 70. Yn bwysig iawn, maen nhw'n fodlon bod y gwelliannau a wnaethpwyd dros y ddwy flynedd a hanner diwethaf bellach wedi ymwreiddio yn ddwfn mewn arfer, gan sicrhau newid y bydd modd ei gynnal. Rwyf i wedi fy nghalonogi yn fawr iawn o weld bod newid sylfaenol wedi digwydd yn y ffordd y mae'r bwrdd iechyd yn ymgysylltu â menywod a theuluoedd. Ond ni ellir anghofio'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd yn y gorffennol, ac ochr yn ochr â'r diweddariad hwn ar y cynnydd, mae'r 'Adroddiad Thematig Categori Marw-enedigaethau', sy'n manylu ar y canfyddiadau a'r gwersi o 63 achos o ofal a arweiniodd yn drasig at farw-enedigaeth, yn arbennig o ddirdynnol i'w ddarllen. Ac er bod y canfyddiadau yn cyd-fynd ag adolygiad blaenorol y colegau brenhinol ac, yn wir, adolygiadau tebyg ledled y DU, ni fydd hwn yn ei gwneud hi'n haws i'r menywod na'r teuluoedd yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw. Mae hi'n drueni ofnadwy y gellid bod wedi osgoi canlyniad gwael mewn un o bob tri achos o ofal, pe bai'r gofal wedi bod yn wahanol. Nodwyd mân ffactorau y gellid bod wedi eu newid nhw hefyd mewn bron i ddwy ran o dair o'r achosion o ofal a adolygwyd. Er nad oedd y rhain yn debygol o fod wedi cyfrannu at y canlyniad gwael, mae'r canfyddiadau hyn yn tynnu sylw at lawer o ddiffygion yn ansawdd y gofal a gafodd menywod a'r safonau yr oedd ganddyn nhw hawl i'w disgwyl. Roeddwn i'n arbennig o drist o ddarllen yr adborth gan y menywod a'r teuluoedd hynny a rannodd eu straeon nhw, a oedd yn ategu hyn ymhellach, ac mae hi'n wir ddrwg gennyf i am hynny. Er nad oes dim a ellir ei wneud i newid yr hyn a ddigwyddodd iddyn nhw, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y gwelliannau sydd wedi digwydd o ganlyniad i hyn yn rhywfaint o gysur iddyn nhw. Ac a gaf i ddweud na allaf i ddechrau dychmygu'r boen y mae'r menywod hynny a'r teuluoedd hynny sy'n galaru am eu babanod yn ei ddioddef o hyd. Ni allwn ni danystyried pa mor anodd fydd y canfyddiadau hyn i'r staff. Rwyf i o'r farn gref fod y mwyafrif llethol o'n staff ni'n mynd i'r gwaith bob dydd yn ein GIG i wneud gwaith da. Y system y maen nhw'n gweithio ynddi hi sy'n gallu eu hatal weithiau rhag darparu'r gofal gorau posibl. Mae ymrwymiad staff i sicrhau canolbwyntio parhaus ar wella, er gwaethaf y pwysau gweithredol a wynebwyd ganddyn nhw, yn dangos mai dyna yw'r gwirionedd. Er i lawer gael ei gyflawni, mae'r adroddiad yn ein hatgoffa ni bod mwy i'w wneud eto, gyda'r canolbwyntio erbyn hyn ar symud tuag at ddull parhaus o wella mwy cyfannol, i'r tymor hwy. Yr hyn sy'n allweddol yn hyn o beth yw meithrin mwy o integreiddio rhwng gwasanaethau newyddenedigol a mamolaeth. Mae'r Aelodau eisoes yn ymwybodol bod y panel yn canolbwyntio nawr ar y gwasanaeth newyddenedigol. Mae'r adolygiadau clinigol unigol yn y categori newyddenedigol yn mynd rhagddynt, ac mae'r panel wedi dweud wrthyf eu bod nhw'n bwriadu dechrau rhannu canfyddiadau â menywod a theuluoedd yn gynnar yn y flwyddyn newydd.