Part of 3. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:19 pm on 18 May 2022.
Restructuring at this point in time is not the answer. We will have a tripartite meeting in June and that will provide recommendations to me on the appropriate level of escalation. I have asked to make sure that my officials are ready for any eventuality that comes from that tripartite meeting, and we have different methods now of making sure that we can support and intervene in the most practical way possible to give the support that they need. Now, your answer is always to run down the service and the people—[Interruption.]—and the people working in that service who are on their knees, who are in tears. And, of course, we've got a duty and responsibility to serve the people of that community. If you think that restructuring at this point in time is the answer, I'm afraid I think you're mistaken. That is not what I'll be doing. I am not going to be restructuring in the middle of a pandemic. That is not the way to go about change. We are putting pressure on the health service in the area, we are meeting frequently with the NHS in the area, and we will continue to make sure that we are responding in a productive and in a progressive way, which is constructive. And, of course, this kind of situation is unacceptable, but we will stand by them to make sure that they make improvements.