Please share. All welcome 💜 #RunningPunks #Cardiff @senedd.wales

This is good. Working in the open feels like a crucial easy win. On the NHS, Wales publishes far less data & fewer programme updates than England. Unclear why. Openness isn’t just good for accountability. It’s a key innovation driver - ask any researcher or policy analyst keen to get hold of it!

Arguably more significant than defections, internal party politics and the Beckhams… In 2024 there were around 3,600 suspected cases of measles. We need to challenge the nonsense spread by anti vaxxers and ensure children are protected. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... news.sky.com/story/uk-los...

New post just out: "On the edge" On my unexpected week in hospital and five things I learnt about the state of the NHS. (Free to read) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/o...

The face of a dog who was so happy to see us when we got back from holiday that he sprained his tail from wagging too much. Poor boy.

After Japan’s ambassador went viral singing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, Wales' FM has returned the favour by belting out the Japanese national anthem

The charity I work for has found that ethnicity data collection in the NHS in Wales is poor compared to that in England (<50% compared to >95%). Means that Wales unable to provide ethnicity data to cancer audits and not contribute to research. www.tenovuscancercare.org.uk/news-views-l...

If you don’t collect the data then you don’t know whether a problem exists. And if there’s no evidence of a problem, then there’s no need for a policy solution. It’s not an accident that so many OECD countries don’t collate race or ethnicity data. Pandemic highlighted how data can save lives.

The aftermath of storm Darragh in Victoria Park this morning. Lots of damage to beautiful trees, but crikey that could have been a lot worse

ON THE BLOG: How to improve parliamentary scrutiny of the assisted dying bill Assuming that its legislative passage continues, @danielgover.bsky.social makes four suggestions for how parliamentary scrutiny of the bill could be improved.

Around 600,000 people who die in the UK each year could benefit from palliative care. Palliative care needs to be state funded, as it is now in the Republic of Ireland. @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social bmcpalliatcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.... (See estimates of need - Tables 3+4)

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed its second reading by 330 votes to 275 this afternoon. Adding a devo spin to the @instituteforgov.bsky.social’s analysis, I’ve been taking a look at how MPs across the four nations voted today and what this could mean for its future. 🧵

How the votes for assisted dying split by party

Pleased to see the Assisted Dying Bill move on to the next stage of scrutiny. How this Bill would be implemented in Wales is a complex issue needing close consideration. Bet I’m not the only one looking for a decent explainer on the LCM process this afternoon.

New report out today shows the UK increasingly depends on doctors from overseas. Of all licensed doctors in Wales, 38% qualified abroad. That’s up from 33% in 2019. How we talk about immigration matters. Some of the rhetoric today feels really unhelpful. www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/docu...

Lots of MPs are undecided (or at least undeclared). There's still time to use writetothem.com to tell your MP your views on the Assisted Dying Bill - you just need your postcode. The bill has it's second reading vote tomorrow, which will decide if it will then go to committee stage.

A story for the process crowd.. What happens next with assisted dying if it passes - It won't be government bill or get govt time - Civil servants and ministers will start work on it - Govt will work on amendments with Leadbeater to get legislation in shape - Minister will be on bill committee

Great to welcome MS for #Pontypridd @mickantoniw.bsky.social here and former FM & Bridgend MS @carwynj.bsky.social - both now added to this Seneddwyr/cyn-Seneddwyr Starter Pack. #Wales #Cymru 👇 (Ignore my presence, I’m neither past/present/future!) go.bsky.app/7z84W2k

Using my first Bluesky post to share my first journal article! Understanding how many people need palliative care has never been more important - our research shows the vast majority of people who die in the UK would benefit from it. Have a read and let’s chat about evidence-based health policy 👋