Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:08 pm on 11 March 2020.
Thank you for that answer, Minister. Of course we all have to live within our means, but we can't just cut funding to health boards without impacting upon patient care. Take the new medicines fund, for example: the Welsh Government funds novel treatments for the first 12 months, and then health boards have to find funding for future years. So, what assessment have you made of the impact that this is having on local health board finances? And we also have to account for known unknowns, as you've already said—the coronavirus. But also, for example, the impact winter pressures will have on services throughout the rest of the year. And this year we have the added unknown of the impact that COVID-19 will have on services both planned and unscheduled. So, Minister, how resilient are NHS finances, and what steps are your Government taking to ensure financial pressures do not impact patient outcomes? Thank you.