The targets used by Welsh Labour ministers to measure public service performance are ‘in tatters’ and urgent improvements are required across the country.
That was the focus of a Welsh Conservative debate in the Senedd on Wednesday.
Janet Finch-Saunders AM highlighted health and education in particular – and called on Labour ministers to avoid simply removing or altering targets for their own benefit.
Welsh Conservative motion debated:
The National Assembly for Wales:
1. Regrets the repeated and persistent failure of the Welsh Government to meet its own key targets linked to the delivery of key public services; and the damaging consequences this has for the people of Wales.
2. Believes the Welsh Government must show absolute transparency in measuring public service performance.
3. Fears the removal, redefinition or altering of targets linked to public service delivery prevents the people of Wales being able to adequately hold the Welsh Government to account; and distorts scrutiny of their long-term, repeated failure.
Janet said:
Time and again, we are let down by the Welsh Government’s lamentable and persistent failure to meet crucial targets and monitor commitments on key public services.
The people of Wales deserve progress and performance, and a Welsh Government that they are able to hold to account.
In Health, despite ambitions to make GPs more accessible by opening on Saturday mornings, the Welsh Government doesn’t even collect data to monitor any progress against this target!
And their commitment to support carers through full implementation of the Carers’ Measure will be repealed next year, as it is replaced with provisions under the Social Services and Well-being Act, even in the face of real concerns being raised by the Wales Carers Alliance.
Furthermore, the recent report into continence support by Shine Cymru has highlighted ‘the lack of timely access to high quality assessment, care treatment and support in Wales’, and is calling for improved inspection and audit of services – open, transparent and accountable.
Whilst we welcome investment in ambulance services, this has to be set against the appalling background of response time targets not being met for over 20 months.
Furthermore, the consistent failure of the Welsh Government to meet targets over urgent cancer treatment and A&E waiting times is inexcusable.
Changing how targets are measured and moving the goalposts to neaten up the figures means nothing – Welsh Labour Government failings affect our people, at their most vulnerable, on key service provision.
Full transparency is essential for the Welsh public to hold this Labour Government to account over failures.
The Welsh Conservatives support the British Medical Association’s calls for an independent, comprehensive review into the Welsh NHS.
Yes, there is a cost, but what cost now to those who have been let down?
Any identification of potential shortcomings and bad practice, once addressed would be invaluable to our pressured health workers and worried patients.
On education, we remain, regrettably, lagging behind.
The OECD’s damning report criticised the Welsh Labour Government’s ‘lack of a long-term vision’, while the most recent PISA results were the lowest in the UK for the third time in a row.
Serious concerns have been voiced by leading academics that poor PISA results in 2016 ‘would be disastrous for our attempts to secure our industrial future’.
We want to give our children the best possible start in life, yet Estyn reports that standards in primary schools have declined, with 40% having poor numeracy standards. Worst still, is that the figure for secondary schools is 50%!
Despite complaints from students, parents, teachers and head teachers about the Welsh Government’s handling of the English Language GCSE fiasco, and the head of the WJEC recommending a delay in the roll-out of the new Welsh GCSEs, the Minister carries on regardless!
This short-sighted, inflexible approach shows no concern for hardworking students who deserve full openness, transparency, and above all – accountability – from their Government.
The people of Wales deserve better from their Welsh Labour Government, holding the record for managing the decline of many of our public services.
All too often we hear this Labour Government moan about poor funding from the UK Government.
Wake up Labour! You’ve got £15bn coming into Wales, and as Thatcher once said: “There is no such thing as public money – there is only taxpayers’ money.”