English: As a new member of the Health and Social Care Committee, I want to start by thanking my colleagues and the clerks and everybody who contributed to this report, and I am glad that the Welsh Government has accepted, or accepted in principle, all 25 recommendations. As a Member with a hospital in my constituency, the Princess of Wales, hospital discharge continues to be one of the key issues, whether that's from healthcare workers on the front line or patients, or their families. I am pleased that the Welsh Government has accepted, as a matter of urgency, to act on step-down care provisions, as set out in recommendation 11. My own health board, Cwm Taf Morgannwg, have told me that hospitals have become a little too much like care homes at this point. Over 25 per cent of patients in hospitals need a step-down bed; there are simply none available. So, they are waiting on wards, some for really long periods of time, where it is not the best place for them, as we've heard from my colleague Joyce Watson. We know that evidence shows that patients start to decline if they are not discharged when they need to be, and I've also been told that the cost-of-living crisis is resulting in some of the care homes in my constituency considering having to close, which would then, of course, reduce bed capacity even further. In Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Prince Charles has access to 100 step-down beds, the Royal Glamorgan Hospital has access to 100 step-down beds, and the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend has access to just six step-down beds, so I am told that step-down beds are critical for my community. So I know, and I do acknowledge, that the Welsh Government has accepted these escalating pressures, laid out in their response to recommendation 1, and have prioritised a system reset to improve the transition of patients to the most appropriate place for their care, but I would ask that when this money and these discussions are going on with the health boards, that it does make sure that it goes to all of the hospitals across that whole health board. I'd also like to highlight recommendation 5 on the discharge to recover then assess, and the need to reduce the risk of readmission. Again, in Bridgend, we have some amazing community organisations, such as Age Connects Morgannwg, Care and Repair Cymru, who have been helping with patients post discharge, and I know, from speaking with many community nurses, how much they rely on Care and Repair to assist with recovery time at home and to ensure that patients are safe during and after leaving hospital. Bridgend has also relied on the Age Connects service for discharge for over 20 years. Not only do they provide transportation for patients from hospital, but they also get them settled back into their home, as opposed to just dropping them off at their front door, and they also follow up then over six weeks and offer signposting to other organisations. That helps with aids, adaptations, housing, meal planning and maybe introducing them to a hobby. However, due to financial constraints, these services have now been cut by the health board, so that's no longer happening. I heard from an employee of Age Connects that they were in the hospital the other week, because they were just passing out information about their services, and one of the nurses came up to them and said, 'Would you mind taking this patient home?' They said, 'Well, we don't provide that service anymore.' So, then, the patient had to wait for an ambulance to be able to take them home. So, like I said, I do understand the financial constraints, but it does demonstrate that when these services are disinvested, it impacts patients, but also puts pressure on the ambulance service. Finally, I'd just like to end by drawing attention to recommendations 12 and 14 regarding the reform of pay and the recruitment drive for social care workers. I've been working closely with deputy leader and cabinet member for social services, Jane Gebbie, and Bridgend County Borough Council, as I've been pushing for a recruitment drive to fill those gaps. I am pleased the Welsh Government has implemented the real living wage for care workers and have stated, in their response, that this is a starting point and not an end point for long-term improvements for workers. Bridgend council have been lobbying the UK Government as well for a 45p mileage allowance review, after 12 years since the last review, as they are finding it a barrier to recruitment. The fuel crisis impacts on social care workers who rely on using their cars to attend patients in their homes. It's disappointing that the UK Government will not review this allowance, given the fact that we're in desperate need of social care workers. These vital workers are typically low waged and are being impacted by the energy crisis in their jobs. I therefore ask the Welsh Government to work alongside Bridgend council in asking for that review by the UK Government to assist with this recruitment drive in Bridgend and across Wales. Diolch.
Welsh: Fel aelod newydd o'r Pwyllgor Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol, rwyf am ddechrau drwy ddiolch i fy nghyd-Aelodau a'r clercod a phawb a gyfrannodd at yr adroddiad hwn, ac rwy'n falch fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn pob un o'r 25 argymhelliad naill ai'n llawn neu mewn egwyddor. Fel Aelod gydag ysbyty yn fy etholaeth, Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru, mae rhyddhau cleifion o'r ysbyty yn parhau i fod yn un o'r problemau allweddol sy'n cael eu codi, boed hynny gan weithwyr gofal iechyd ar y rheng flaen neu gleifion neu eu teuluoedd. Rwy'n falch fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn, fel mater brys, y dylid gweithredu ar ddarpariaethau gofal cam-i-lawr, fel y nodir yn argymhelliad 11. Mae fy mwrdd iechyd fy hun, Cwm Taf Morgannwg, wedi dweud wrthyf fod ysbytai wedi dod yn rhy debyg i gartrefi gofal. Mae dros 25 y cant o gleifion mewn ysbytai angen gwely cam-i-lawr; nid oes yr un ar gael. Felly, maent yn aros ar wardiau, am gyfnodau hir iawn weithiau, er nad dyna yw'r lle gorau iddynt fod, fel y clywsom gan fy nghyd-Aelod Joyce Watson. Rydym yn gwybod bod tystiolaeth yn dangos bod cleifion yn dechrau dirywio os na chânt eu rhyddhau pan fo angen iddynt gael eu rhyddhau, ac rwyf hefyd wedi cael gwybod bod yr argyfwng costau byw yn golygu bod rhai o'r cartrefi gofal yn fy etholaeth yn gorfod ystyried cau, a fyddai wedyn, wrth gwrs, yn lleihau capasiti gwelyau hyd yn oed ymhellach. Yng Nghwm Taf Morgannwg, mae gan Ysbyty'r Tywysog Siarl fynediad at 100 o welyau cam-i-lawr, mae gan Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg fynediad at 100 o welyau cam-i-lawr, a dim ond chwe gwely cam-i-lawr y mae gan Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr fynediad atynt, felly dywedwyd wrthyf fod gwelyau cam-i-lawr yn hollbwysig i fy nghymuned. Felly rwy'n gwybod, ac rwy'n cydnabod, fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn y pwysau cynyddol, fel y nodwyd yn eu hymateb i argymhelliad 1, ac wedi blaenoriaethu'r gwaith o ailosod y system er mwyn gwella trosglwyddo cleifion i'r lle mwyaf priodol ar gyfer eu gofal, ond pan fo'r arian hwn a'r trafodaethau hyn yn digwydd gyda'r byrddau iechyd, hoffwn ofyn eu bod yn sicrhau ei fod yn mynd i'r holl ysbytai ar draws y bwrdd iechyd cyfan. Hoffwn dynnu sylw hefyd at argymhelliad 5 ar ryddhau i adfer yna asesu, a'r angen i leihau'r tebygolrwydd y bydd pobl yn gorfod dychwelyd i'r ysbyty. Unwaith eto, ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr, mae gennym sefydliadau cymunedol anhygoel, megis Age Connects Morgannwg, Gofal a Thrwsio Cymru, sydd wedi bod yn helpu gyda chleifion ar ôl iddynt gael eu rhyddhau, ac rwy'n gwybod, o siarad â nifer o nyrsys cymunedol, cymaint y maent yn dibynnu ar Ofal a Thrwsio Cymru i helpu gyda'r amser adfer gartref ac i sicrhau bod cleifion yn ddiogel yn ystod ac ar ôl gadael yr ysbyty. Mae Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr hefyd wedi dibynnu ar wasanaeth Age Connects i ryddhau cleifion am dros 20 mlynedd. Maent nid yn unig yn darparu cludiant i gleifion o'r ysbyty, ond maent hefyd yn eu helpu i setlo'n ôl yn eu cartrefi, yn hytrach na'u gadael wrth garreg y drws, ac maent hefyd yn cadw mewn cysylltiad dros chwe wythnos ac yn cyfeirio at sefydliadau eraill. Mae hynny'n helpu gyda chymhorthion, addasiadau, tai, cynllunio prydau bwyd ac efallai eu cyflwyno i hobi. Ond oherwydd cyfyngiadau ariannol, mae'r gwasanaethau hyn bellach wedi cael eu torri gan y bwrdd iechyd, felly nid yw hynny'n digwydd bellach. Clywais gan un o weithwyr Age Connects eu bod yn yr ysbyty yr wythnos o'r blaen, am eu bod yn rhannu gwybodaeth am eu gwasanaethau, a daeth un o'r nyrsys atynt a dweud, 'A fyddech chi'n fodlon mynd â'r claf yma adref?' Dywedasant, 'Wel, nid ydym yn darparu'r gwasanaeth hwnnw mwyach.' Felly, wedyn, bu'n rhaid i'r claf aros am ambiwlans i'w cludo adref. Felly, fel y dywedais, rwy'n deall y cyfyngiadau ariannol, ond mae'n dangos, pan fo dadfuddsoddi'n digwydd yn y gwasanaethau hyn, ei fod yn effeithio ar gleifion, ond hefyd yn rhoi pwysau ar y gwasanaeth ambiwlans. Yn olaf, hoffwn orffen drwy dynnu sylw at argymhellion 12 a 14 sy'n ymwneud â diwygio cyflogau a'r ymgyrch i recriwtio gweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol. Rwyf wedi bod yn gweithio'n agos gyda'r dirprwy arweinydd a'r aelod cabinet dros wasanaethau cymdeithasol, Jane Gebbie, a Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, am fy mod wedi bod yn pwyso am ymgyrch recriwtio i lenwi'r bylchau hynny. Rwy'n falch fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gweithredu'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol ar gyfer gweithwyr gofal ac wedi datgan, yn eu hymateb, mai man cychwyn yw hwn ac nid y pen draw ar welliannau hirdymor i weithwyr. Hefyd, mae cyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr wedi bod yn lobïo Llywodraeth y DU am adolygiad o'r lwfans milltiroedd 45c, wedi 12 mlynedd ers yr adolygiad diwethaf, gan eu bod yn ei ystyried yn rhwystr i recriwtio. Mae'r argyfwng tanwydd yn effeithio ar weithwyr gofal cymdeithasol sy'n gorfod defnyddio'u ceir i fynd at gleifion yn eu cartrefi. Mae'n siomedig na fydd Llywodraeth y DU yn adolygu'r lwfans hwn, o ystyried bod taer angen gweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol. Mae'r gweithwyr hanfodol hyn ar gyflogau isel fel arfer ac effeithir arnynt gan yr argyfwng ynni yn eu swyddi. Gofynnaf felly i Lywodraeth Cymru weithio ochr yn ochr â chyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr i ofyn am yr adolygiad gan Lywodraeth y DU i helpu'r ymgyrch recriwtio ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr a ledled Cymru. Diolch.