The health minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, has warned that there may be fewer hospital beds in the country as health boards are asked to make an additional £64 million in savings.
The cuts are aimed at reducing the predicted overspend by about 10%, but Ms. Morgan acknowledges that there will be consequences, including the possibility of fewer beds, due to the need to cut down on the use of agency workers.
Talks regarding GP contracts have also paused due to budget constraints, with the offer of a 5% pay increase for GPs not meeting their expectations to deal with inflation of practice costs and staff expenses.
Ms. Morgan called for the public to help the NHS, particularly in addressing health issues like obesity, which affects 60% of the population and contributes to the challenges facing the healthcare system.