Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm pleased to open the debate today on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's report on community and district nursing services This is the fourth in the series of spotlight inquiries recently undertaken by the committee.

The committee undertook a one-day inquiry into the activity of district nurse-led community nursing teams and the quality of nursing care provided to people in their own homes. At this point, I'd like to acknowledge the cross-party group on nursing and midwifery, as it was through their work that this inquiry came to fruition, and to acknowledge the leadership of David Rees.

The changing nature of healthcare provision and the move to provide more care outside the hospital setting means that the role of community nurses has become increasingly demanding. There is an acknowledgement that these community nursing teams can contribute to healthcare in the future, but the information about that is very scarce. There is no accurate picture of the number and skill mix of nursing teams. We don't know how many people are receiving care in their own homes or the level of care they need. It's also not clear how community nursing teams' activity is measured and reported, or how the quality and safety of services is monitored. Indeed, we were alarmed to hear community nurses describe themselves as the 'invisible service'.