Coronavirus: 700 ventilators 'missing', say opposition parties

More ventilators are on the way, the Welsh health minister says

Opposition parties say hundreds of ventilators meant to have been made available to the Welsh NHS by the UK government have not yet arrived.

On 6 April, Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething, said 1,035 had been bought through UK arrangements.

But, in a written answer to the Conservatives, he said only 171 had been distributed, with 60 in reserve.

Speaking at a news briefing on Tuesday, Mr Gething said "we have enough and we're going to have enough".

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Suzy Davies, Conservative South Wales West AM, said: "I have to ask where are our missing 700 ventilators?

"It is lucky for the Welsh Government that these ventilators have so far not been needed, but it could have been a completely different story."

Ms Davies said it was "shocking" that "vital equipment seems to have been forgotten by the Welsh Government and that according to the Welsh Government health minister they do not keep track of the timings or allocation of the ventilators they are expecting to receive".

"It beggar's belief and smacks again of incompetence that this has been allowed to happen," she said.

'Second spike'

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said Wales had again been "short changed" by "Westminster's broken promises and the Welsh Government's repeated failure to demand better for Wales".

"We cannot discount the very real possibility of a second spike and Wales needs every piece of life saving equipment promised to us in order to be fully prepared," he said.

"The UK and Welsh Governments must explain the gulf between promise and delivery without delay".

In response, Mr Gething said the ventilator numbers were not up to date but emphasised the NHS in Wales had sufficient capacity for current demands and more machines were on the way, in tranches.

He said: "More are coming into the system each week, so if the point is, do we have enough?

"The answer is yes. If the point is, are we going to get the full thousand? The answer is yes."