5. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: The Health and Social Care Outcome Framework

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:16 pm on 10 May 2022.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 3:16, 10 May 2022

(Translated)

That is so true, but I don't see the signs of the kind of revolution I would like to see. I remember, after a recent statement, I accused the Minister of having missed a nought from the end of a figure that was being spent on preventative measures, and I mean it. We have to aim, ultimately, to spend less on healthcare, and the way of achieving that is that we are a healthier nation because large sums will have been spent on the preventative agenda in all of its forms, but also that there is a change of mindset around the kind of health, care and well-being systems that we're looking for. So, yes, there's no disagreement on the importance of the preventative.

I wouldn't disagree with the second of the three principles: equality. That's crucially important. And in a series of recent interventions, Plaid Cymru has been emphasising the way in which inequalities have been getting worse, rather than improving, here in Wales. And that third principle—in terms of enabling the individual to take responsibility and to make the right decisions—of course that's important, but there are so many people who can't make the right decisions because of the circumstances that they find themselves in, because inequalities lock them into a vicious cycle, if you like. So, we need to identify the blockages. We need to identify what prevents the Government from truly operating in an integrated manner and bringing all of the elements of governance—housing, health, education, socioeconomic issues, all of those—together, and the solutions to those don't exist within a framework of this kind, although the objectives are there. So, the one question is: does the Minister agree with me that it is impossible to improve outcomes unless we eradicate the inequalities that are holding us back as a nation and as a society?