May I first of all welcome the interim report, as it is very thorough and shows a great deal of research and consultation? It gives us a great deal of detail on the state and challenges facing the NHS and the care sector in Wales today, but we must also say that the findings aren’t ones that should surprise us too much. What we have is a picture of financial pressures, demographic pressures, mixed with poor workforce planning, underperformance and a lack of integration between health and social care. We see clearly the excellence that exists among the professional staff of the NHS and the care sector but also see the stress and pressures they face as they try and work to the greatest of their ability.

Now, the evidence is already clear, therefore, although this is an interim report, that we cannot continue as we are. That also means that we should cease saying that the UK Government can continue with austerity policies whilst the Welsh Government continues to put pressures on local authority funding and social care and that that isn’t going to have a truly detrimental impact on the ability to provide health and care services as people would expect and would deserve.

It’s clear from the report that health service funding needs to increase as needs increase among the population, but that we also need to invest more in social care, and we do know that the demands on the services are going to increase, although the scale of that increase will depend on how this Government responds to these various challenges—obesity, for example, and the need to encourage healthier lifestyles. There are other elements too: the quality of housing, the environment and, of course, cuts in the welfare state, when the weakest in our society are being squeezed by the cruellest policies. We know that homelessness is on the increase, that suicide is on the increase and that the use of health services is also on the increase. Therefore, the case for change is strong and a change in the way that Governments, both here and in London, look at and support the whole ecosystem surrounding health and care services and social support services.

I could refer to some specific elements that are highlighted in this report—workforce planning, for example. Improved workforce planning is attainable if we see the Government taking the appropriate steps, such as introducing a centre for medical education in Bangor and encouraging more young people from Wales, from various backgrounds, including the more disadvantaged backgrounds, to study medicine. It does mean that those necessary steps have to be taken to increase the number of nurses that we train and to provide the support that those trainee nurses need to make this a profession that remains attractive to them.

The report highlights the scope to use technology to provide alternative ways—better and, very often, cheaper ways—of treating patients, but that does mean having services and health and care institutions that are flexible and can respond to new developments. Some of those developments, which are emerging very quickly, will be truly revolutionary, and we in Wales cannot be left behind. So, there are significant challenges, but also significant opportunities.

Mae gennym ni heriau sylweddol o'n blaenau, ond mae cyfleoedd gwirioneddol hefyd, os oes gan Gymru yr uchelgais a’r meddylfryd cadarnhaol i fanteisio ar y cyfleoedd hynny, yn hytrach nag esgus mai ein gwaith ni yw rheoli dirywiad a chwyno am bethau na allwn ni wneud unrhyw beth yn eu cylch. Mae a wnelo hyn, yn fwy penodol, â Llywodraeth Cymru, yn dangos ei bod yn barod i dderbyn yr her. Problem graidd, yr eliffant yn yr ystafell yw hyn: Mae Llafur mewn Llywodraeth wedi rhedeg y GIG byth ers i bobl Cymru benderfynu ei ddatganoli bron yn union 20 mlynedd yn ôl. Ni all Cymru fforddio bellach cael Llywodraeth sy’n gwrthod cyfaddef dyfnder rhai o broblemau'r GIG a'r sector gofal, oherwydd byddai gwneud hynny yn cyfaddef mai nhw sy’n gyfrifol am y problemau hynny. Mae angen i bobl Cymru weld newid gwirioneddol ynglŷn â sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhedeg gofal iechyd a chymdeithasol yng Nghymru ac yn meddwl am ddarparu iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru. Mae gennym ni adroddiad interim nawr sy’n tynnu sylw at rai o'r prif heriau. Bydd gennym ni adolygiad cyflawn yn fuan a, gobeithio, cyfres o argymhellion a all ysgogi rhywfaint o weithredu o ddifrif.