SENEDD Members expressed grave concerns about the impact of the UK Government’s national insurance tax hike on GPs, universities and charities in Wales.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth warned the rise in employer national insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15% in April will have a disproportionate impact in Wales.

He told the Senedd: “Labour are quick to accuse others of fantasy economics whilst their own plans represent nightmare economics for thousands of employers and employees.”

Raising concerns about the impact on job creation and wages, he said employment levels are at their lowest for almost a decade – lower than anywhere else in the UK.

He accused Labour of breaking a manifesto pledge as he pointed to an Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) assessment that three quarters of the cost will be passed to workers.

Leading a debate on November 20, Mr ap Iorwerth called on the UK Treasury to fully cover the added cost to public sector employers in Wales.

He said: “It’s not the private sector only … bearing the brunt. Charities, GPs, universities – sectors already feeling the squeeze, to say the very least – have been taken to the brink.”

He pointed to “eye-watering” bills of £90,000 for some GPs, with the British Medical Association warning some surgeries could close as a consequence.

Mr ap Iorwerth said mental health charity Plattform faces a £250,000 annual bill and Welsh universities, “already crippled by financial challenges”, will face significant further pressures.

Plaid Cymru’s motion urged Welsh ministers to press the UK Government to apply a wider definition of the public sector workforce to include universities, GPs and charities.

Peter Fox, the Conservatives’ shadow finance secretary, similarly accused Labour of breaking a manifesto commitment not to raise tax on working people.

The former council leader said: “Time and time again – the chancellor went on TV and made the claim, only to u-turn after they got into power.”

Mr Fox, who represents Monmouth, said even a 1% rise in employer national insurance contributions for the public sector would cost Welsh taxpayers an extra £100m.

He told the Senedd: “The UK Government has said that it will provide funding to cover the cost of national insurance contributions for those workers.

“However, this will still come out of the taxpayer’s pocket … ultimately it is the taxpayers who are going to pay for the Chancellor’s tax increase.”

Luke Fletcher, Plaid Cymru’s shadow economy secretary, warned the national insurance rise will be a drag on an “already anaemic” Welsh jobs market.

His colleague Sioned Williams, who also represents South Wales West, described the chancellor’s “back-of-a-fag-packet” plans as senseless.

She raised concerns about six-figure increases in tax bills for charities including Tenovus, Marie Curie, Citizens Advice Cymru and the Wastesavers Charitable Trust.

Cefin Campbell, Plaid’ Cymru’s shadow education secretary, said the national insurance increase will cost Welsh universities an estimated extra £20m a year.

The Mid and West Wales MS warned: “Without a shadow of a doubt, these additional costs could push our higher education institutions over the precipice.”

Labour’s Hefin David said difficult decisions had to be made to fill a £22bn “black hole” left by the Tories but he rejected Plaid Cymru claims of a return to austerity.

Dr David told the Senedd: “Yes, tough decisions have to be made but I think that in the longer term, this is to everyone’s benefit.”

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Conservative opposition, disputed the “incorrect” £22bn figure, saying the OBR found a £9bn gap.

Replying to the debate, Mark Drakeford stressed that neither he nor the Welsh Government has responsibility for national insurance contributions.

Wales’ finance secretary, who was appointed in September, criticised “fantasy economics” from opposition members on the Plaid Cymru and Conservative benches.

Deriding the “politics of the playground”, he said: “Both of them are willing to spend money on almost anything; neither of them are willing to raise the money necessary from anyone.”

Prof Drakeford said the chancellor returned national insurance broadly to where it had been as a share of gross domestic product for 13 of the 14 Conservative years.

The former First Minister pointed out that the UK Government offset national insurance rises on small employers by more than doubling the employment allowance.

He told the debating chamber or Siambr: “If you want to pay for things, you have to find the money to do so. That is what the chancellor had to do. That is how we will get the money that will come to public services here in Wales.”

Senedd Members voted 25-19 against Plaid Cymru’s motion.

NHS staff in Wales may have put their health at risk during the Covid-19 pandemic by treating patients without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), former health minister Vaughan Gething has admitted.

Giving evidence to the Covid inquiry, Gething acknowledged significant challenges in distributing PPE despite assurances that national-level supplies were maintained. He revealed that stocks of key items ran out far quicker than anticipated, with some equipment deemed unfit for purpose and discarded.

“There were some very real challenges,” Gething said, noting that gloves, expected to last 15 weeks, were depleted within 11 days. Aprons and other essentials soon became critical concerns. He also condemned opportunistic profiteering during the crisis, calling some suppliers “shysters” who exploited global demand to sell inadequate equipment.

The Welsh Conservatives described the revelations as “completely unacceptable” for NHS staff, while Plaid Cymru accused the Labour-led Welsh Government of “significantly letting down” frontline workers.

The inquiry also heard of chaotic conditions in some hospitals. An email from a consultant at Prince Charles Hospital in March 2020 described a dire situation, with staff lacking protection, low morale, and masks unavailable.

In some instances, healthcare workers resorted to makeshift solutions, including wearing bin bags or purchasing their own safety gear. Trade unions highlighted that schools even stepped in to produce masks and hand sanitiser for local health services.

When asked whether healthcare workers treated Covid-19 patients with inadequate PPE during the first wave, Gething replied, “I’m afraid that’s possible.”

Decisions under pressure

The session also addressed difficult decisions made during the pandemic. Evidence was presented that some patients with little chance of survival were not admitted to critical care due to limited space.

“It’s very upsetting to read,” Gething said, acknowledging the heartbreaking choices faced by medical teams, though he claimed to be unaware of specific instances.

Gething, who served as health minister until May 2021, conceded that delays in tackling hospital-acquired infections could have contributed to the challenges. He admitted he might have acted earlier in forming a task group to address the issue, which worsened during the second wave.

First Minister reflects on birthing partner rules

Current First Minister Eluned Morgan also testified, reflecting on delayed decisions to allow birthing partners in hospitals during the pandemic.

Morgan, who succeeded Gething as health minister in May 2021, acknowledged that guidance was not updated until May 2022, more than a year after England implemented similar changes.

“If I had my time again, that’s one of the things I definitely would have changed,” Morgan said, calling the delay regrettable for new parents.

She also defended the decision not to launch a national investigation into hospital-acquired infections, citing extensive reviews conducted by health boards. However, Morgan acknowledged shortcomings in resuming routine surgery and criticised poor management at some facilities.

The inquiry continues to examine decisions made by Welsh ministers and NHS leaders during the pandemic, focusing on lessons learned to prevent similar issues in future crises.

SENEDD Members quizzed Wales’ health secretary about long NHS waits amid concerns about health boards getting the “green light” to commission private sector services.

Jeremy Miles, who was appointed health secretary in September, told the Senedd an extra £22m, on top of £28m announced last month, will go to tackling the longest NHS waits.

In a statement on November 19, Mr Miles said the £50m will be made available to health boards immediately and “where necessary” will be spent on private hospital capacity.

Mabon ap Gwynfor, his Plaid Cymru opposite number, raised concerns about privatisation.

He said: “We have yet another example of the government having to absorb added costs from their mismanagement of existing NHS capacity, something we’ve seen before with respect to the spiralling bills associated with agency staffing.

“From a broader perspective, this also speaks to the false economy on which the government’s funding of the health service has been based for some time, which is to throw money at the front line without dealing with the issues upstream.”

Mr ap Gwynfor pointed to a backdrop of two-year waiting time targets being dropped by the Welsh Government, with one in five people now on a waiting list.

He said: “Back in September, the solution … was to offer treatments in England. By October, the solution was to pay £28m to tackle waiting lists. Now we’re in November, the solution is to increase that £28m to £50m. I wonder what the next statement will be next month.”

Mr ap Gwynfor said the £50m will not be used to address a recruitment and retention crisis, nor boost student placements on medical training courses following an “alarming” slump.

The Dwyfor Meirionnydd Senedd member, who published a report on NHS governance earlier the same day, asked how much will go to private providers.

But Sam Rowlands, the Tories’ shadow health secretary, welcomed ministers “encouraging” health boards to commission services from the private sector.

He said: “I’m not sure if some of your colleagues will approve of that but it’s something we’ve long called for: cross-sector collaboration to tackle waiting lists here in Wales.”

The North Wales representative raised concerns about a “staggering” 619,200 patients awaiting treatment, with 24,000 people waiting two years compared with 124 in England.

Warning of systemic failure, Mr Rowlands said: “The 95% target for patients spending less than four hours in A&E in Wales has never been met. The 95% target of patients waiting fewer than 26 weeks in Wales hasn’t been met in more than 10 years.

“The 75% target for cancer patients to start treatment within 62 days of cancer being suspected has never been met in Wales.”

Mr Miles cautioned against cross-border comparisons, saying waiting time measures in England are “very much narrower” than in Wales.

He said the £50m will see 16,000 more people treated, an extra 14,000 tests carried out and up to 20,000 more outpatient appointments by March 2025.

Mr Miles told the Senedd that £3m will go towards reducing the longest waits for autism and ADHD assessments amid exponential growth in demand.

He said: “In six months alone, waiting lists for neurodevelopmental assessments have increased by more than 2,000. Assessments can be complex and reductions to the waiting lists have been quickly subsumed by new referrals.”

The health secretary recognised that short-term measures will be insufficient on their own, stressing: “I have been clear with the NHS: we need to transform the way we deliver services while we focus on clearing the backlog. Our funding is intended to support this.”