4. What are the Welsh Government's priorities for healthcare provision in west Wales? OQ57607

The current priority in west Wales remains balancing services to keep people safe from COVID while extending the return of wider, more routine services as it becomes safe to do so. 

Diolch, Brif Weinidog. A fortnight ago, Hywel Dda University Health Board signed off a programme business case for the reorganisation of healthcare services in west Wales, which, if approved and signed off by your Government, will see the creation of a new hospital at a location not yet decided somewhere between Narberth and St Clears. This business case also sees both Glangwili and Withybush hospitals downgraded to community hospitals. These are plans that have been in circulation for a number of years. A protest is planned for 23 February outside Withybush Hospital by the local campaign group, who have not given up the fight to see services stay at their local hospital. When you were health Minister in 2014, you—and I quote—saw 'no useful purpose' in meeting with the concerned residents of west Wales to discuss health service reorganisation when invited to do so by MP Stephen Crabb. Given the strength of feeling by the community and their steadfast desire to see services retained in their local hospitals, do you now regret not meeting with the people of west Wales?

I'm afraid the question is just completely mistaken, because I did meet—I did meet—with representatives of those groups. I met them here in this building. So, he's just completely wrong, really. But I think his question is deeply disappointing—deeply, deeply disappointing. If the Conservative Party think that their contribution to improving services in west Wales is once again to lead a campaign against the improvements that the health board seeks to bring about, then he is doing a deep disservice to the people that he represents. Let me be clear on that with him. The health board has brought forward a series of proposals. They'll be looked at by the Welsh Government. They're designed to make sure that services in west Wales are safe and secure for the next 20 years.

I'm afraid I remember all too well the last time the Welsh Government attempted to invest millions and millions of pounds in improving services in west Wales, when Brian Gibbons was the health Minister here and the health board brought forward a plan for a new hospital—a brand new hospital—for west Wales to be placed, at that time, in Whitland, in the Member's own constituency. It was opposition from his party that prevented that major investment from being realised in the community that he now serves. I do hope he doesn't intend to embark upon his career here in the Senedd by frustrating the attempts of local people to have millions of pounds invested in the health services on which they will rely in the future.

I hope, First Minister, that you'll agree with me that it would be a good thing to focus on the £1.3 billion that's on the table for a new hospital—the sort of investment that's badly needed in our area. It is transformational money that can bring about transformation in the services that are currently provided. I hope you will share my opinion that the health board must listen to the views across west Wales of all people, not just the voices of those who shout the loudest.

I thank Joyce Watson for bringing a voice of sanity to this discussion. If the health board is able to put forward a convincing business case, there is, as she says, major, major investment to be made in services in the south-west of Wales. It's not, as I know she will recognise, a plan simply focused on hospital services either. It is, in some ways, consistent with some of the points that Rhun ap Iorwerth was making earlier. It's a plan to make sure that as many services as possible are provided as close to where people live as possible by the strengthening of community facilities—facilities outside hospitals in places like the Cross Hands integrated health centre, in centres in Aberystwyth and developments that the health board plans in other parts of the health board area—and of course retaining services at both Withybush and at Glangwili, where the Welsh Government goes on investing in those buildings and in those services right up to the present day.

It was very good news—and I know that Joyce Watson, having been such a close supporter of all of this, will agree—on 25 January when the first baby was looked after in the special care baby unit that's now being provided at Glangwili, with £25 million worth of investment in those services. I completely agree with Joyce Watson that the health board must listen to views, of course, of all people within the health board area, that it must work with its clinicians, and then it can look forward to the sorts of investment that its plan would trigger, with services provided close to where people live in the community and with a hospital system that meets the needs of the twenty-first century.