4. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services: Winter Pressures

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:59 pm on 13 February 2018.

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Photo of Angela Burns Angela Burns Conservative 3:59, 13 February 2018

I'd like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement today. Your opening paragraph I couldn't agree with more. I too would like to add my thanks and recognition of the hard work that not just the NHS staff do, but also all those who work within social services and within the care sector, to help us get through what is traditionally a very, very difficult time of the year. I welcome the improvements that you cite in your statement. Those positive examples are very thought-provoking. However, it is not all roses, and I think that serious questions remain over the way that services were planned for this winter. We waited until the summer for a review of last year's winter resilience, which was clearly far too late, I think, to learn lessons and develop robust plans, and the health and social care committee heard this constantly—witness after witness after witness, representing organisations, groups and individual GP practices and consultants across Wales, saying that they hadn't been involved in winter pressures.