4. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services: Services Fit for the Future White Paper

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:24 pm on 27 February 2018.

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Photo of Dawn Bowden Dawn Bowden Labour 4:24, 27 February 2018

Can I thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement? The consultation on services fit for the future was very wide-ranging, and it covered significant areas of governance and, as you say, sits alongside the parliamentary review looking at how we ensure that services are delivered in the right places by the right teams of people. From the responses that were received, it's clear that there was a support for more effective leadership and for having the right skills and experience at both board and corporate level, and, in that regard, I wanted to specifically raise with you the invaluable contribution of therapists to the Welsh NHS, a group of professionals that I think are sometimes overlooked when we're having the talk about doctors and nurse recruitment, training and service delivery, and ask you whether you'll recognise the benefits that they deliver by including a role of director of therapies and health sciences within the executive leadership of LHBs and whether it is the case that the recognition of such a strategic corporate lead—a lead that, of course, can straddle both health and social care—is an invaluable contribution to securing services fit for the challenges ahead, and, finally, whether you therefore agree that in the vital areas like rehabilitation, prevention, early intervention and then securing a strong corporate lead on these matters, that that surely will help to deliver the type of transformational change that we know we need in our health and social care services.