6. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: National Immunisation Programme for Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:40 pm on 27 June 2023.

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Photo of Russell George Russell George Conservative 4:40, 27 June 2023

Can I thank the Minister for her statement this afternoon? I don't think there's an awful lot to disagree with. I'm very supportive of much of what the Minister has said this afternoon. I remember—. The Minister talked about the joy when the vaccination was developed, and, of course, we were particularly good in the UK and Wales in rolling out the vaccination at pace as well, which had so much of an impact on getting us back to normality again. 

Minister, you talked about the spring booster programme coming to a close this week and that you delivered 0.25 million vaccinations, but I suppose the question there is to assess how successful the programme was over the spring period. Can you tell us how many people were eligible for the vaccination or give us a percentage in terms of uptake? 

Of course, I understand there was a step down of funding for vaccination centres. I understand why that was the case—that was the correct approach, to redirect funding elsewhere—but what that has meant is that people, often, in rural areas are travelling a lot further, those who are eligible, for their COVID vaccinations than previously— people perhaps travelling over an hour. So, can you help us to understand a little bit about—? GP surgeries, yes, they're offering what we refer to as the flu jab, but, yes, people are travelling over an hour away for their vaccination for COVID, so perhaps tell us a little bit about how you feel that you can incentivise or encourage GP practices to take up offering the COVID vaccination as well.

Minister, you talk about the centralised waiting list—sorry, centralised procurement model—so, I'm listening to that with interest as well. I think you talked about that last year, and at the time you were talking about it possibly being ready for 2023-24, but it now looks like 2025. You talk about a piece of work that's complex, so perhaps it would be worth just expanding on what is complex about that work. I can imagine it is, but perhaps you can outline that to us. And also what are the benefits of a centralised procurement model? I can accept that there will be benefits, but perhaps you can outline what they are over the current system, and are there any disbenefits that you foresee in terms of a centralised procurement model? I know that the British Medical Association in Wales have previously raised some concerns about a move to a centralised procurement system, because they're concerned that GP practices could be less well funded and that could have implications for reinvesting in other services. So, can you just confirm that you are having discussions with BMA Wales about this?

You also, Minister, talk about misinformation about the vaccine. Misinformation, I agree with you, is very dangerous, when we see a lot of this information that's posted, and perhaps you could just outline—. You talk about, in your statement, how you're going to work with NHS organisations to ensure that there is clear and accurate and trustworthy information about, but how are you going to do that, or how are the NHS organisations that you talked about going to achieve that?

You've also talked about the vaccination programmes that were under way before COVID in terms of the general vaccination programmes, delivered particularly in schools as well. So, you talked about the catch-up programmes. To what extent has Wales caught up, and to what extent are vaccinations, compared to pre COVID, now taking place? Have we seen an uptake? What's the analysis? Is there a feeling that there's more uptake in general vaccinations, or a decrease? Perhaps it would be good to get some sense around some of those issues as well. I think that covers my questions. Thank you, Minister.