Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:19 pm on 15 June 2022.
I think that's the key issue, isn't it—when is it safe to do so, and how do we make sure that you can get the fastest and the best care possible at the earliest opportunity. That is an issue for Hywel Dda to determine, and of course we will take our clinical lead from them. What I do know is that alongside the rest of the pressures that we're seeing across all our accident and emergency departments, the key thing is to make sure that we can try and get a really fast service for paediatric care, and of course, if that means travelling a little further, then I think parents might consider that that might be worth continuing for the time being. I know that that was a temporary move—I'll continue those discussions with Withybush Hospital—but we are not back to normal in the NHS; I think it's really important that people understand that. COVID rates have gone down significantly, but the pressures on the NHS remain, and the important thing is that we put safety first for our patients.