To consider any questions the appropriate notice for which
have been given under Section
4.19 of the Constitution.
Minutes:
(1)
Question from Councillor Dewi Wyn Roberts
"In my ward
(Abersoch) there is great concern about the proposals to close the branch
Surgery.
The Gwynedd Local Committee of the Community Health Council will invite
representatives from the Health Board to discuss basic health care issues in
Gwynedd. I believe the situation with the recruitment and retention of GPs in
Gwynedd is an emergency waiting to happen. This will put more pressure on care
services, especially in rural areas.
How is the
Council, in conjunction with the Health Board, preparing for the precarious situation
with doctors' services in Gwynedd at present, and what plans are in the
pipeline for the short term and long term to solve medical staff recruitment -
is there a response and/or are there discussions to ensure an appropriate
medical service for patients and the public in the County?"
Response of the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health
and Well-being, Councillor W. Gareth Roberts
(The Cabinet
Member's written response to the original question had been distributed to the
members in advance).
"I
am very aware of the background and understand why Councillor Dewi Roberts
raises this question. The challenges facing primary care nationally and locally
are substantial. An ageing population,
dispersed geography, increasing demand, ongoing difficulty in recruiting and
retaining staff, and the need to develop new service provision patterns create
a challenging situation in the field of health and care.
There
is no simple answer to this question. It is increasingly obvious that
traditional modes of operation no longer address the need and consequently it
is necessary to embark on a journey of changing and developing that which will
satisfy the complex need.
In fact, this is a question
relating to the recruitment of doctors and health staff, and of course, it
would be the role of the Health Board to co-ordinate efforts to formally
respond to this situation.
Having
said this, one of the Council's priorities is to meet the need to improve the
ways we support adults receiving health and care services. The work of
preventing problems from arising in the first place or responding as soon as
possible when matters do arise is one of the main principles of the Act, and I
am confident that the partnership work with the Health Board to provide care
and preventative services in Gwynedd will lead to reducing the burden and need
for clinical care.
A
lot of work is being carried out in response to the need to improve the ways we
support people who receive health and care services. But we need to think
differently, and a part of this is looking across the entire range of services
and opportunities within communities. We are on an ambitious and challenging
journey but I believe that were are making good progress with the work of
improving this, although there is much more work to be done."
Additional question by Councillor Dewi Wyn
Roberts.
"Referring to
Dr E L Jessup's letter on behalf of the North Wales' General Practitioners'
Committee to Senedd Members on 7 August 2017, where it states -
‘The Lleyn
peninsula is also badly affected, Criccieth practice having just given in their
notice of closure. The domino effect that has long been forecast is now
seriously looming on the horizon.
There has been a
seeming absence of proactive action to address the fundamental issues behind
the crisis we now face.
Just this week, we
were distressed to hear that trainee posts appear to have been withdrawn from
the pool that exists in North Wales. Good candidates have moved up to North
Wales in anticipation of applying for these posts and are left disappointed by
this seemingly precipitous decision.’
May I ask why a
decision has been taken to withdrawn training for doctors in North Wales when
it is so clear that recruiting is difficult, and for confirmation that we are
keeping a close eye on the situation for the well-being of our residents in
Gwynedd.”
Councillor W. Gareth Roberts, Cabinet Member
for Adults, Health and Well-being responded:
"It takes
three years to train GPs. 18 months is spent at a Surgery and 18 months at a
Hospital working in the fields of older people, children, obstetrics and mental
health. At the end of the three years, the Doctor has to pass a qualifying
examination. Eight doctors are recruited every year to the Ysbyty Gwynedd plan,
Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Ysbyty Maelor Wrecsam also take on trainee doctors.
Another thing to
note: The Welsh Government provides a £20,000 incentive for people to sign up
to the plan. It is also possible to join the plan on a part-time basis, which
then takes longer than three years to complete; the same applies if a period of
maternity leave is taken."
(2) A question by Councillor Owain Williams
"Following a recent vote at the Council to refuse a proposal to cut
the pay of Cabinet Members and Chairpersons by between £2,000 and £3,000 each;
how much exactly will this additional sum cost this Council and
taxpayers?"
(The Cabinet
Member's written response to the original question had been distributed to the
members in advance).
Response
by Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, Leader of the Council:
It is the Independent Remuneration Panel for
Wales that sets the guidance nationally for Salary levels of elected
members. The only element of flexibility
within the guidelines is the responsibility of different councils to decide to
set the salaries of Cabinet Members and Committee Chairpersons on one of two
levels.
The Council resolved, in its meeting on 18
May 2017, to retain the salary level of Cabinet Members on Level 1 (£29,100)
and Committee Chairpersons on Level 1 (£22,100), in accordance with the
previous year's decision, on the grounds that it reflected the responsibility
and work load associated with the roles in question.
In other words, the Council would not pay an
additional sum as a result of this decision.
It should be noted, however, that the salary
of every member had risen by £100 during the 2017/18 financial year (including
the highest salaries); the additional cost to the Council this year is,
therefore, based on the guidance of the Independent Panel, at £100 per member,
totalling £7,500.
Had the Council voted in favour of the
proposal to change the salaries to Level 2 for Cabinet Members and
Chairpersons, it would have led to a saving of £37,200.