ONE OF the problems with being a high-profile minister who thinks she knows how to get things done is that you get the blame for everything that goes wrong, writes Clive Betts from the National Assembly press gallery.

When the service is the NHS, one of the most centralised operations in the world – is it larger than Indian Railways ? – minister Edwina Hart is on a hiding to nothing.

So, Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams opts to give her a hiding.

The initial reason for her comments was a statement by a former head of the ambulance service in Wales – there are surely half-a-dozen recent claimants for that spot, and Mr Roger Thayne created some headlines of his own – that services have worsened over the last two years.

Mrs Hart responded to his criticism that she “was not happy with the way the service is managed”.

Which is quite a damning statement.

Perhaps she is really saying that it’s time for a seventh head of service.

Ms Williams retorted, “She needs to put up or shut up.”

Mind you, the Lib Dem leader also put forward a list of policy proposals – financial stability; implement capital bids; provide more acute beds linked to A and E facilities; introduce a telephone triage service; and ring fence the rural service

The last items looks very like erecting barbed wire so that vehicles from towns such as Brecon -  a key town in Ms Williams’s constituency – are physically unable to attend calls in the Valleys.  Fine if you live in Brecon; not so good in Vaynor. And surely this sort of policy will raise costs substantially at a time of financial pressure

The most sensible suggestion from Ms Williams was a triage service.  Already it is apparently being introduced at the Cwmbran call centre; there are thoughts the same for Wrexham; but what about the South-West ?

Mr Thayne knew how to collect headlines when he headed the Welsh service. In retirement, he doesn’t seem to have forgotten.