You are right; every year we have a winter. A winter protection plan is a reasonable ask, and as colleagues have observed this afternoon, the Welsh Government has routinely set out its objectives for our health and care system to respond to the pressures of increased seasonal demand whilst attempting to deliver planned care and surgery. In fact, there was such a plan covering the most recent period of 2020-21. Whilst it was published during the pandemic and largely in response to that, it did demonstrate that the Government has a role in guiding and supporting our health and care services during a challenging time. My view is that we need a plan, a complete well-resourced target, targeted at those measures that our officials should know are going to work in ensuring that health and care can work more closely together in responding.

We know there is a higher risk of patients with flu needing to be hospitalised. The flu season last year would have been weaker because of the measures implemented to deal with COVID, such as social venues closed and people largely unable or restricted in mixing in each other's homes. So, whilst the incidence of flu would have been less, the level of immunity will also have been lower because of the reduced opportunities to mix with family, friends and work colleagues. The risk, therefore, of a greater number of people becoming ill this year, and with a greater intensity, will be somewhat higher than in previous years, and needs to be planned for.

I also want the Government to be open and honest about the numbers of people over the winter contracting flu and being hospitalised. In supporting our health and care system, I believe the Government ought to consider a range of actions. No. 1: assessing the capacity in primary care and whether we need short-term improvements in the range of multidisciplinary teams to help get us through the winter period. Many people will present at primary care, including out of hours, so ensuring that right capacity and skills mix is essential. No. 2: we need also to be sure that there is support for improvement to early hospital discharging measures to reduce the length of hospital stays at acute and community hospitals, to reduce the stress on bed management. No. 3: we need to identify capacity within our hospitals for those most elderly people who will sadly need to be admitted in response to flu. In the absence of a specific plan, assuming the Minister will this afternoon dismiss these calls, I will want assurance that the Government is examining a range of measures, fully sighted on the possible size of the challenge over the next few months. People have been warning about this for some time; the time to act is now. Thank you.