00:02Thank you very much, Llyweth. I'm proud to speak in this chamber for the first time as Capital Minister for
00:07Health and Care
00:08and to represent a sector that in so many ways reflects our very best qualities as a society and as
00:15a nation.
00:16But I'm under no illusions that this government has inherited a health system beset by crises
00:21and is perhaps more precarious and more vulnerable than at any point in its history.
00:26Across a range of areas, patients and staff alike are being let down.
00:31The waiting list backlog encompasses a significant proportion of the population,
00:36with some having been in this position for years on end.
00:40Emergency departments buckle into the strain of relentless demand and insufficient capacity
00:44whilst unsafe practices such as corridor care becoming normalised.
00:49Standards of care on conditions such as cancer continue to lag far behind where we would expect them to be.
00:55Health inequalities along the lines of geography, class, race and gender remain stubbornly entrenched.
01:03Our valiant but beleaguered workforce is stretched and financial pressures remain acute.
01:09Meanwhile, demand is rising, our population is ageing and needs are becoming more complex.
01:15Simply put, the symptoms are stark and nothing less than bold, radical action can be the cure.
01:21During the election campaign, I promised to channel the spirit of Bevan and to lead a process of renewal in
01:28our health and care system,
01:30to restore our precious NHS to its rightful place as the pride of our nation and the envy of the
01:38world.
01:39Now this won't be easy and it won't be done overnight, but the work starts now and we will seize
01:45the mandate for change,
01:47which voiced so clearly by the people of Wales at the ballot box to relentlessly deliver the improvements that they
01:54so sorely deserve.
01:56I know that the legions of devoted and dedicated staff across the health and care system share this same burning
02:03sense of ambition.
02:04My immediate priority is to tackle the waiting list backlog.
02:09The ease for too long has been a debilitating millstones around the neck of the NHS and is imposing unacceptable
02:15strains on staff and patients alike.
02:17Having to wait years for treatment, with all the pain and anxiety that that entails,
02:23is an intolerable reality with far too many people the length and breadth of Wales,
02:28and I'm determined to turn the page on this sorry legacy once and for all.
02:32By implementing an ambitious national programme to expand surgical and diagnostic hubs across Wales to reduce waiting times,
02:40improve access and increase capacity.
02:43My officials are already in the process of convening the expert independent group
02:47who will be responsible for developing the delivery plan for 10 such hubs over the next four years.
02:53And I look forward to regularly updating the Synod on its progress.
02:57We're also finalising a new approach to planned care over the next 18 months,
03:02clinically led, nationally directed, and with a clear emphasis on service modernisation.
03:08Through these measures, we will see two-year waits eliminated within a matter of months,
03:12and the overall backlog reduced to pre-pandemic levels before the end of this Synod term.
03:17But this isn't just a case of addressing the immediate pressures of long waits, as urgent as they are.
03:24It's putting the foundations in place so that we're never in this position again,
03:29and to ensure the NHS can sustainably manage demand.
03:33That's why our plan for surgical hubs is predicated on reinforcing local capacity and expertise first and foremost,
03:41creating centres of excellence for long neglected specialisms such as ophthalmology,
03:46and providing vital training opportunities for medical graduates.
03:50No more will the Welsh Government chase short-term sticking plaster solutions at the expense of long-term planning,
03:57strategic coherence, and prudent, targeted investment.
04:01This will be complemented by long overdue reforms in both primary and social care.
04:06It's abundantly clear that from a structural perspective,
04:09the health and social care landscape reflects the needs of yesterday rather than those of today and tomorrow,
04:15and the implications of the chronic neglect of primary care and social care are plain for all to see.
04:22A&E has become an extension of the GP surgery,
04:25while hospital beds have become long-term homes for far too many people whose needs could be better
04:31and more holistically served in the comfort of the community.
04:35That's why we will expand access to out-of-hours primary care to ease pressure on hospitals,
04:41underpinned by our commitment to recruit up to 100 new salaried GPs.
04:46Work is already underway with our partners to scope a detailed review of funding for general practice
04:52to develop options that are balanced, transparent, and evidence-based.
04:57We're proud to have been the party that initiated the programme to establish a fully integrated national care service for
05:03Wales.
05:04And in government, we will make further purposeful strides in this direction,
05:08so that wherever people live in Wales, they can expect the same high standard of care and support.
05:14We will also expand community care, strengthen discharge planning,
05:18and work in partnership with local government and carers to build a system that truly wraps around the individual.
05:24Because for too long, the system has been centred on hospital care.
05:28We're shifting focus, so people spend less time in hospital and more time living well independently in their own homes
05:35and communities.
05:36This whole system transformation must go hand-in-hand with fundamental reforms to the governance architecture of the NHS.
05:45Governance might not be the most eye-catching policy area,
05:48but it is essential to unlocking improvements in performance, accountability, and collaboration.
05:54To this end, we'll strengthen the role of the regional partnership boards to support closer working between health boards,
06:01local authorities, and key partners,
06:03bringing people together to solve problems with a clear focus on whether it is making a difference for those we
06:09serve.
06:10In far too many areas, the NHS remains an analogue institution in a digital age.
06:15I'm determined to change this through our 10-year digital and data strategy to ensure that our health system has
06:22the infrastructure and the skills to be at the cutting edge of innovation.
06:27A once for Wales approach to digital, data, and AI, and modern infrastructure will help the system work as one,
06:35cut duplication, boost productivity, and direct more resource to frontline care.
06:40The staff who work with dedication and commitment to deliver high-quality care are the lifeblood of the NHS in
06:48Wales.
06:49We must empower and support them with the right people in the right teams and places and leadership
06:55that creates a culture where staff feel valued, safe, and able to deliver.
07:00I've been clear we need a long-term workforce strategy for NHS Wales,
07:05and in the autumn, I'll publish this strategy.
07:08Working in partnership, we will develop and set out strategic framework with clear, short, medium, and long-term commitments,
07:15tangible actions, and annual review of progress and priorities.
07:20This agile framework will mean we can proactively plan and develop our workforce to support our key priorities,
07:26such as reducing waiting times and a focus on cancer.
07:30I'm also keenly aware of the difficulties faced by graduates in securing employment,
07:35including most recently amongst nursing, midwifery, and paramedic cohorts.
07:40Wales fares poorly when it comes to retaining the wealth of talent we nurture here,
07:45and I'm determined to change this.
07:47I will be bringing partners together shortly to consider both immediate actions to support this year's graduates,
07:54and what more can be done to avoid similar problems in the future.
07:58But we can't spend all our time firefighting.
08:01We must also take bold action on population health and inequality
08:05if we are to create a health and care system fit for the future.
08:12The health and well-being of our population, the future of the NHS, depend on preventing avoidable ill health
08:19and delivering care earlier in the right place at the right time.
08:23I will bring together system leaders, local authorities, and clinicians to drive that shift
08:30and to transform how services are planned, commissioned, and delivered across Wales.
08:37There must be a focus on prevention, demonstrated by the appointment of the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health.
08:46We will act across Cabinet and with partners to tackle wider determinants of poor health,
08:53to reduce inequalities, and to improve health outcomes,
08:56including tackling child poverty, healthy eating, physical activity, housing, and employment.
09:03We will move away from managing sickness to ensuring that people have the means to lead healthier and happier lives.
09:12And, on my watch, I won't measure success on the basis of the number of people in hospital,
09:18but rather by the number who didn't have to go there in the first place.
09:23Finally, we must also be alive to the very real threats to the status of NHS as a publicly owned
09:30institution
09:31that is free at the point of need.
09:34I'm a passionate believer that the NHS belongs to the people of Wales, today and forever,
09:42and I pledge to defend it with every fibre of my being against the unaccountable billionaires
09:47and their political pawns who would seek to profit from our most precious national asset.
09:56What I have set out today is the first steps along a long-term path of renewal.
10:02I'm under no illusions to the scale of the challenge,
10:06and I won't promise that the benefits of our agenda will manifest immediately,
10:09because I'm not here to indulge in quick fixes and easy answers,
10:14nor should anyone who truly has the best interests of the NHS at heart.
10:19But through our laser focus on the ultimate destination,
10:23I'm confident that by the end of this end of term,
10:27we'll have started to write a bright new chapter in the history of our health and social care system.
10:33With urgency, decisive action and ambition,
10:37we will protect the NHS and build a healthier, fairer Wales,
10:42with a health and care system that puts people first and delivers the change our nation needs.
10:49James Evans.
10:51Dear Flawith, can I thank the Cabinet Ministers for his statement today
10:55and welcome him to his new role.
10:57I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all our NHS staff.
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