NATIONALIST party Plaid Cymru launched a five-point plan to tackle the NHS crisis in Wales today.

Plaid Cymru’s health and care spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said that the plan has been developed in conversation with the health sector and represented “the five things we believe can make a real difference.”

The party’s plan included providing a fair deal for NHS workers, giving more prominence to preventative health measures and creating a resilient health and care service.

But Unison Cymru/Wales health lead Hugh McDyer reacted to the initiative by saying that the real solution had to come from the Westminster government.

“We need a long-term commitment to bring salaries in-line with inflation and tackle the ever worsening issues around staffing and retention and this has to come from Westminster,” he said.

The Royal College of Nursing in Wales welcomed Plaid’s plans but said that the future of the Welsh NHS is in the hands of the Welsh government.

RCN Wales director Helen Whyley said: “We need a robust plan that looks at longevity and sustainability of the workforce to provide gold-standard care to the people of Wales.”

Plaid Cymru claimed that its plan offered immediate and longer-term solutions for the problems facing the health service and would benefit staff and patients. 

Party leader Adam Price said: “There is a health crisis in Wales for which new thinking is required.

“A health crisis which the Welsh government cannot admit exists in the first place. If this isn’t a crisis, then how much worse are they expecting it to get?”

The Welsh government praised the “incredible performance” of the NHS in Wales, saying it is dealing with about two million contacts every month.

Plaid Cymru’s plan will be debated in the Senedd tomorrow.