10. Will the First Minister make a statement on access for patients from Caerphilly to the planned Special and Critical Care Centre? OAQ(5)0261(FM)

Yes. We’ll continue to work with the health board to address the transport requirements of patients and others who require access to the SCCC, and that will, of course, mean working to ensure that his constituents have the best transport access possible.

He’s anticipated my supplementary. I very much welcome the long-awaited special critical care centre. One of the biggest—[Interruption.] No, I didn't. One of the biggest concerns for my constituents, though, is transport links, as you say, to the super-hospital. We need a modern, integrated public transport system for the twenty-first century. Therefore, would he agree to work with his Cabinet colleagues to ensure the new super-hospital is adequately served by the south Wales metro, preferably with a specific stop there? And would the First Minister also accept that a number of my constituents, particularly in the south of Caerphilly and the Caerphilly basin, will need to continue, and should be allowed to continue, to use the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, in the Heath, even though it lies outwith the Aneurin Bevan university health board?

It's fairly common for people to use a hospital that isn't technically within the health board area that they reside in. For example, people in Ogmore by Sea or Ewenny naturally use the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, even though they're not within the local health board area, and that will continue in the future. He's absolutely right to point out that there are opportunities with the metro to make sure that people are able to travel more easily, and he makes an important and interesting point about having a stop at the SCCC.

In terms of transport generally, I know that the Cabinet Secretaries who are responsible for transport and health will work together to make sure that the SCCC has those transport links, and I know that the ambulance services trust has also been very closely involved in the local development of plans for the SCCC.