Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 1:08 pm on 30 December 2020.
I'm happy to confirm that every part of Wales will continue to receive its fair share, so I would expect that, when we ultimately see all the figures smoothed out, the Betsi delivery will be in accordance with its population—I think it's about 23 per cent or 24 per cent of the population. So, it will get its fair share. It's not being held back. It's actually about its ability to test all of its systems and then go ahead and accelerate delivery. And I certainly think that, with the roll-out of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, you will, as I said to Alun Davies and the constituency he represents, see communities across north Wales have even easier and readier access to the vaccine because we won't be asking people to move themselves to mass vaccination centres, but we'll actually be able to more readily and easily transfer and transport the vaccine around. Now, the way that you and many of us, including me—. I've had the pleasure of being jabbed with a flu vaccine in front of a camera for, I think, eight years running now. In many ways, we'll be able to store and transport this vaccine in the same way as you would a flu vaccine, where it's fridge storage, and that will make a really big difference, and that should see a significant acceleration.
I should just say, as you mentioned Powys, that I think Powys have been remarkably can-do in their approach not just for citizens in Powys, but, where they've had gaps in their ability, to reduce wastage they have offered some vacant slots to either north Wales, depending on the part of the county of Powys where they're delivering, or indeed some south Wales health board areas where they're delivering there as well. So, it does show that our NHS is acting not just to work together and across organisational boundaries, but a real commitment to reduce wastage as well, because the vaccine is a precious resource and we want to make sure it's used effectively and quickly, but of course that also means not having unnecessary waste. But I think that you'll again reassert a sense of pride in north Wales health services as we go through the coming weeks and months, and as more and more of us see our communities being protected by the roll-out of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the much easier access we'll all see to that.