Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:09 pm on 15 June 2021.
It was a—[Inaudible.]—to visit the Princess of Wales Hospital in my constituency of Bridgend last week, and meet with the incredible staff. They have been tremendous throughout the pandemic, and I know that everyone here today recognises, appreciates and thanks them for their bravery, for the sacrifices that they've made, and for their steadfast commitment to patient care. They and I welcome the Welsh Government's commitment to now addressing the waiting list for operations, particularly orthopaedic and ophthalmology, as well as the £100 million funding for our health boards to begin this vital work. As I know our First Minister is aware, in order to clear the backlog of surgical operations, we will need to have enough theatre staff to assist. However, there is currently a shortage of operating department practitioners, leading to a limit on the number of surgeries that can take place. Please will our First Minister tell us how Welsh Government will ensure that we not only attract enough ODPs to help clear the current backlog but also ensure that we have a pipeline of them in the future for our Welsh NHS?