Root out NHS waste to provide a better service for patients - Kirsty Williams

Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, today visited a community pharmacy to highlight the Welsh Liberal Democrat commitment to reducing waste in the NHS to improve health provision for the people of Wales.

(Last year, it was revealed that £50 million worth of medicine was being wasted in the Welsh NHS every year. Over 250 tons of out of date, surplus and redundant drugs are returned each year to pharmacies and GP surgeries.)

The Welsh Liberal Democrat leader also reaffirmed her party’s commitment to free prescriptions in Wales on the visit to the community pharmacy in Swansea with South Wales West Candidate, Peter Black and Swansea East Candidate, Sam Samuels.

Kirsty said: “The Welsh Liberal Democrats are committed to free prescriptions in Wales, unlike the Tories who’d rather pump money into a bloated NHS bureaucracy and administration and make people pay for their prescriptions.

“Wales’ NHS has been expensively reorganised by the Labour-Plaid government, but they have failed to tackle the waste of resources. Although we spend more per head on the NHS than England, we put up with worse results – longer waiting times, slower ambulance response times and lower standards of cancer treatment.

“Waste in the NHS needs to be targeted so that money is aimed at treating patients. The NHS cannot go on like this and that’s why I support Community Pharmacy Wales and their campaign to save money for the NHS.”

Peter Black, Welsh Liberal Democrat South Wales West Candidate said:

“Free prescriptions benefit people on low and modest incomes and patents who have chronic illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure. The cost of prescriptions can be a deterrent to many people which would be detrimental to their health and that’s why we are committed to free prescriptions in Wales.”

A spokesperson for Community Pharmacy Wales said:

"As the medicines experts in the primary care health team, pharmacists are aware that many people do not get the best value out of their medicines. By consulting their pharmacists on how best to use their medicines, a lot of money can be saved to be spent on effective and accessible healthcare in the 700 community pharmacies in high streets and villages across Wales."