The family of a grandfather who was forced to wait 15-hours on a urine-soaked floor for an ambulance after suffering a nasty fall have told the BBC they are "disappointed" at Mark Drakeford's angry outburst in the Senedd. The First Minister lost his temper on Tuesday while being questioned about Keith Morris' agonising wait.
During a heated First Minister's Questions on October 18, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies challenged the Welsh Government regarding its record on the Welsh NHS. Mark Drakeford's angry response subsequently went viral on social media. You can see it here.
Now Mr Morris' family, who are lifelong Labour voters, say they are "saddened" that it took a Conservative to bring up the situation.
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His daughter Andrew Morris Nicholas told the BBC Politics Wales programme: "I'm disappointed Mark Drakeford reacted the way he did."
She added: "I'm a member of the Labour Party and have voted Labour my whole life. My father was a coal miner and has also voted Labour his whole life. Our entire family have, in fact.
"Lessons need to be learned from what happened to my father. It has to be taken seriously. Fundamental changes need to be made. The NHS workers and ambulance service are working so hard and under extreme circumstances but there's too much pressure on them.
"I understand funding comes from central government in Westminster but the buck stops with Mark Drakeford and he has to take responsibility."
After being questioned by the Conservative leader about ambulance waiting times, Mr Drakeford fired back: "It is absolutely shocking to me that you think that you can turn up here this afternoon with the mess that your party has made to the budgets of this country, to the reputation of this country around the world, that you promise those people that there will be more to come. And you think you turn up here this afternoon and claim some sort of moral high ground? What sort of world do you belong in?"
Jason Killens, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, has apologised to patients who have faced long waits during one of the service's "most difficult months ever".
He said: "We're really sorry to all of those patients who've waited much longer for an ambulance than we would like, of which Mr Morris was one."
The Welsh Ambulance Service has said hospital handover delays are the biggest reason they cannot get to some patients promptly.
A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We are deeply concerned about the position the UK government has put us in and the eye-watering scale of cuts facing public services in Wales.
"The first minister was reflecting the anger of people in Wales who are now having to pay for the mistakes made by the UK government."
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