4. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Winter Protection Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:54 pm on 15 September 2020.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 4:54, 15 September 2020

Thank you. I think it's a really important question, because delayed transfers of care cause real harm within our system. People that don't need to be in hospital almost always end up suffering harm. If you're immobile and in a bed, rather than being up and around, that's a challenge and a problem for that person. Many of the people we're talking about are vulnerable and, in particular, older people who are in hospital, and it's the wrong place for them to be. As well as the integrated care fund, which local authorities and regional partnership boards all lobbied for the continuation of, because they recognise the value it's provided, we have a twin challenge of making sure we don't just see the value from that, but we understand how that's spread to other authorities as well. And that deliberate shared learning is something that we can't lose sight of through the COVID pandemic. It also, of course, includes some of the work that we've funded with the transformation fund that accompanied 'A Healthier Wales'. The Member will recall that, in Ynysybwl, when we launched that, we took account of the work that the health board had done successfully with the council on getting people into their own homes, supporting them there—that was a benefit for those individuals and a benefit for the health service and the council in getting to the right place to receive their ongoing care and treatment. So, I'm very happy to continue making the case for work between health and local government; it benefits the citizen and it benefits the whole service.