English: Can I thank you, Minister, for your statement? And, at this point, can I once again put on record my condolences and thoughts with the families who were affected by the failings in this health board and have had to live with those tragedies since then? Can I also repeat the thanks to the members of the independent maternity oversight panel for their work, and, in particular, Mick Giannasi, who gave me several hours of his time at Prince Charles Hospital when I had the opportunity to talk to him directly about the work of the oversight panel and see at first hand some of the things that were being put into place, including talking to some of the staff and some of the new managers who were there? So, I was very grateful to him for having the opportunity to do that. I was also pleased to attend the briefing this morning that you facilitated with the oversight panel, together with my colleague Vikki Howells, and we had the opportunity to directly ask the oversight panel questions at that briefing. What I would say is, unlike some of the comments that I've heard this afternoon, I see this slightly differently in terms of what I've seen, what I've heard and what I've experienced in talking to some of the staff and patients. And I do take some reassurance from the thorough work that the panel has now put in progress and as a result of your intervention, although no-one, as you've said, and as others have indicated, should underestimate the challenges that still lie ahead. Indeed, one of the things we heard from the briefing this morning was that, following the inquiry into the Morecambe Bay maternity services, it took some six years from the point at which Morecambe Bay went into special measures to the time that they were considered to be a good unit. And that unit now is actually seen as an exemplar of maternity provision. So, I think the point I'm making here is that anybody who thinks that there is a quick fix to this is clearly not on top of the brief in terms of what needs to be done. There are no quick and easy solutions, it seems to me. However, I'm sure that you would agree that the experience of women and families must remain at the heart of this improvement journey. So, to that extent, the response to the 11 'make safe' recommendations so far is encouraging, though, as you've already indicated, there clearly is much more to do. Now, I note that the number of cases in the clinical review has been extended as the criteria of the panel has been broadened, to ensure that all appropriate lessons can be drawn from the process. While that is something that I welcome, I will await the expert evidence from those reviews before making any detailed comment on them. But I am encouraged to hear about signs of improved performance as a result of the changes already in place. Now, Minister, you've talked a lot about resourcing, but, as the work has to be centred on improving the experience of women using this service, can you assure us that you will continue to provide the resources that are required to support the work with those women and families who wish to continue to be involved with this review? And, finally, do you agree with me that, if we are to achieve some of the cultural changes that clearly are needed, we must create an environment in which people, staff, feel confident about speaking up and speaking out without fear or favour about poor practice and poor behaviour? Because, for too long, doing that has been a career-ending decision for too many staff. And, if we are to see that cultural change, people have to feel secure in the knowledge that they can make those concerns known to the highest levels of the authority without fearing for their own careers in the process.
Welsh: A gaf i ddiolch i chi, Gweinidog, am eich datganiad? Ac, yn y fan yma, a gaf i ddweud eto fy mod yn cydymdeimlo ac yn meddwl am y teuluoedd yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw gan y methiannau yn y bwrdd iechyd hwn gan orfod byw gyda'r trychinebau hynny ers hynny? A gaf i hefyd ategu'r diolch i aelodau'r panel trosolwg annibynnol ar wasanaethau mamolaeth am eu gwaith, ac yn arbennig i Mick Giannasi, a roddodd sawl awr o'i amser yn Ysbyty'r Tywysog Siarl imi pan gefais gyfle i siarad ag ef yn uniongyrchol am waith y panel trosolwg a gweld yn uniongyrchol rai o'r pethau a oedd yn cael eu rhoi ar waith, gan gynnwys siarad â rhai o'r staff a rhai o'r rheolwyr newydd a oedd yno? Felly, roeddwn i'n ddiolchgar iawn iddo am gael y cyfle i wneud hynny. Roeddwn hefyd yn falch o allu bod yn y sesiwn friffio y bore yma a hwyluswyd gennych chi gyda'r panel trosolwg, ynghyd â'm cydweithiwr Vikki Howells, a chawsom gyfle i ofyn cwestiynau i'r panel trosolwg yn uniongyrchol yn y briff hwnnw. Yr hyn y byddwn i'n ei ddweud yw, yn wahanol i rai o'r sylwadau a glywais y prynhawn yma, rwy'n gweld hyn ychydig yn wahanol o ran yr hyn yr wyf wedi'i weld, yr hyn yr wyf wedi'i glywed a'r hyn yr wyf wedi'i brofi wrth siarad â rhai o'r staff a'r cleifion. Ac mae gennyf beth sicrwydd o ganlyniad i'r gwaith trylwyr y mae'r panel bellach wedi'i wneud ac o ganlyniad i'ch ymyriad, er na ddylai neb, fel yr ydych chi wedi dweud, ac fel y mae eraill wedi nodi, danbrisio'r heriau sy'n dal o'n blaenau. Yn wir, un o'r pethau a glywsom ni o'r sesiwn friffio y bore yma oedd, ar ôl yr ymchwiliad i wasanaethau mamolaeth Morecambe Bay, cymerodd ryw chwe blynedd o'r adeg y daeth Morecambe Bay yn destun mesurau arbennig i'r amser yr ystyrid nhw'n uned dda. Ac fe gaiff yr uned honno bellach ei gweld fel enghraifft o ddarpariaeth gwasanaethau mamolaeth. Felly, rwy'n credu mai'r pwynt rwy'n ei wneud yma yw nad yw unrhyw un sy'n credu bod ateb cyflym i hyn yn amlwg yn gyfarwydd â'r briff o ran yr hyn sydd angen ei wneud. Nid oes atebion cyflym a hawdd, mae'n ymddangos i mi. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n siŵr y byddech yn cytuno bod yn rhaid i brofiad menywod a theuluoedd barhau i fod wrth wraidd y daith hon i wella. Felly, i'r graddau hynny, mae'r ymateb i'r 11 argymhelliad 'diogelu' hyd yn hyn yn galonogol, er, fel yr ydych chi eisoes wedi nodi, mae'n amlwg bod llawer mwy i'w wneud. Nawr, sylwaf fod nifer yr achosion yn yr adolygiad clinigol wedi eu hymestyn wrth i feini prawf y panel gael eu hehangu, er mwyn sicrhau y gellir dysgu'r holl wersi priodol o'r broses. Er bod hynny'n rhywbeth yr wyf yn ei groesawu, arhosaf am y dystiolaeth arbenigol o'r adolygiadau hynny cyn gwneud unrhyw sylw manwl arnyn nhw. Ond mae'n galondid imi glywed am arwyddion o well perfformiad o ganlyniad i'r newidiadau sydd eisoes ar waith. Nawr, Gweinidog, rydych chi wedi sôn gryn dipyn am adnoddau, ond, gan fod yn rhaid i'r gwaith ganolbwyntio ar wella profiad menywod sy'n defnyddio'r gwasanaeth hwn, a wnewch chi ein sicrhau y byddwch yn parhau i ddarparu'r adnoddau sydd eu hangen i gefnogi'r gwaith gyda'r menywod a'r teuluoedd hynny sy'n dymuno parhau i fod yn rhan o'r adolygiad hwn? Ac, yn olaf, a ydych chi'n cytuno â mi, os ydym ni'n mynd i gyflawni rhai o'r newidiadau diwylliannol y mae eu hangen yn amlwg, fod yn rhaid inni greu amgylchedd lle y bydd pobl, staff, yn teimlo'n hyderus ynghylch mynegi barn a chodi llais mewn modd teg a chytbwys ynghylch arferion gwael ac ymddygiad gwael? Oherwydd, ers rhy hir o lawer, mae gwneud hynny wedi bod yn benderfyniad sy'n terfynu gyrfa gormod o staff. Ac, os ydym ni eisiau gweld y newid diwylliannol hwnnw, mae'n rhaid i bobl deimlo'n ddiogel gan wybod y gallan nhw fynd â'r pryderon hynny at yr awdurdod uchaf posib heb ofni am eu gyrfaoedd eu hunain wrth wneud hynny.