Wales Cardiac Clinical Lead

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care – in the Senedd at 3:07 pm on 25 March 2026.

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Photo of Natasha Asghar Natasha Asghar Conservative 3:07, 25 March 2026

Thank you very much, Cabinet Secretary. As you'll be well aware, the Wales cardiac clinical lead role has been vacant since October 2025. Clinical leads are fundamental to deliver high-quality, consistent care and safeguard patient safety all across Wales. They provide a real-world insight into how services operate and patient care complexities, including risk management, clinical workflows and the practical application of policy. Without national clinical oversight, Wales risks fragmented planning, inconsistent adoption of evidence-based practice and slower progress on safety and quality. There are more than 400,000 people in Wales currently living with cardiovascular disease, Cabinet Secretary, and 63,000 of those within my own local health board of Aneurin Bevan.

So, can the Cabinet Secretary please confirm that improving outcomes in patient safety for those affected by cardiovascular disease remains a priority for the Welsh Government, and that the cardiac clinical lead role will now be progressed at pace? I appreciate the date that you just gave, Cabinet Secretary. And it's not just the cardiac role that is vacant; the Wales clinical lead for musculoskeletal health role has also not been filled. So, can you please provide an update on recruitment for this job as well, given that nearly 1 million people in Wales live with arthritis and MSK conditions here? Thank you so much.

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