The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has today (19 January) used an emergency question in the Senedd to question the Health Minister on the steps being taken to improve the continuity in vaccination operations at Venue Cymru.  

Her question came as staff at the vaccination centre are currently operating only three days a week, rather than the agreed six, due to issues with supply. Mrs Finch-Saunders has called on the Welsh Government to “listen to our healthcare professionals” whose efforts are “being stunted by the current stance.” 

Yesterday, the Member wrote an urgent letter to the First Minister, following the news that Covid-19 vaccines are being rolled out to people aged 70 years and over in England, and the First Minister’s comments that Wales will not use all its available Pfizer vaccine to vaccinate people as quickly as possible.  

Commenting on her intervention, Janet said: 

“When this vaccination programme was announced, the people of Wales were promised ‘greater protection for our loved ones and communities.’ Instead, the First Minister has decided to make vulnerable people wait longer for the jab, leaving them at an increased risk of contracting the virus. 

“The Welsh Government have claimed that the challenge was "having enough infrastructure to deliver the Pfizer jab without wasting it.” But how can they stand by this when locations with appropriate infrastructure, like Venue Cymru, are not issuing shots 24/7? 

“Dedicated GPs working across my constituency tell me that they are furious because, whilst they have agreed to issue 100 doses a day for 6 days a week, they are struggling to do more than 100 a week due to the incompetence of this Welsh Labour administration.   

“I implore the First Minister to listen to our health professionals and deliver them the vaccines. The longer that these doses remain on the shelf, the more the risk increases for those elderly and vulnerable across Aberconwy.” 

ENDS 

Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS