7. What discussions has the Minister had regarding access to GP services in Cardiff and the Vale? OQ58003

I have regular meetings with the chair and vice-chair of the health board, and during these meetings we discuss access to GP services. My officials also meet with health board, GP and patient representatives to discuss GP services. I know that GPs are responding to increasing patient demand, despite higher absence rates.

Thank you very much, Minister. Now, last week, plans were confirmed to turn the Corporation Road surgery in Grangetown into residential properties, unless a doctor can be found to take over that practice. With the closure of that surgery and others, over 1,200 additional people have joined the surgery in Dinas Powys. I know that you've announced an additional £10 million to train the medical workforce in Wales, but according to the BMA, that will only sustain that new number of 160 every year, not the 200 in addition that we need every year to meet the needs at present. So, how is the Welsh Government going to increase the number of GPs in Wales? Thank you.

Apart from opening a medical school in north Wales, which was contained within our manifesto, one of the things that we're doing is ensuring that there is a possibility for people coming from abroad to train here to continue to work here. Until this point, there has been a problem in terms of getting a certificate of completion training, so our concern was that over the next three years, we would see 174 people who are due to complete their training that would have been available, but that they wouldn't be allowed to remain in Wales, and there is quite a long-winded process in getting visas and so on. But we are now assisting these GPs so that they can be recruited and we will be putting a system in place to ensure that they get that help to go through that visa process.