Plaid Cymru today (January 18) called for a health crisis to be declared in Wales, to bring the focus that they say is needed in solving the current pressures in the health service.

The motion was voted down by Labour, despite the same calls being made by Labour leader Keir Starmer hours earlier, when he said in Prime Minister’s Questions “take some responsibility, and just admit that on his [Richi Sunak’s] watch the NHS is in crisis, isn’t it?”

Responding to the news, Plaid Cymru’s health and care spokesperson, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said: “There’s a crisis in our health service – this is clear from record waiting times, serious delays to ambulance response and health workers on strike – many for the first time. It is an outrage that Labour refuses to acknowledge the urgency by voting down our calls to declare a health crisis.

“It’s unfathomable that the Health Minister wouldn’t admit to that – Labour leader Keir Starmer called the health situation in England a crisis today, calling on the Prime Minister to take responsibility for that. Well, his own party needs to take responsibility in Wales.

“Yes, UK Government must take the blame for inadequate public spending overall, but Labour mustn’t duck its responsibility for what is happening here in Wales, and a good first step would be to admit the size of the challenge. Labour Welsh Government need to show they are prepared to engage with new and innovative ways of improving our health service – but it’s hard to see how they’d be prepared to do that when they’re apparently in denial that the health service is in crisis in the first place.”