6. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on COVID and Winter Pressures

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:12 pm on 20 September 2022.

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Photo of Russell George Russell George Conservative 5:12, 20 September 2022

Thank you, Minister, for your statement and update today. That's appreciated. I was pleased to see this agenda item added today. I was, though, expecting a statement today detailing your health and social care winter plan, but that's not it today. What I would ask today, Minister, is when are we going to get that plan, given the fact that, last year, the plan was significantly late. In fact, we were already substantially into the winter. Also, I suppose, as well, just to ask for clarity on who is delivering that plan. I think, last year, it was the regional partnership boards who prepared the winter plans. In previous years, it was health boards. So, can I just ask for that confirmation that it is the regional partnership boards that will be delivering that plan that you will be publishing?

Also on that, it would also be useful to understand how the NHS Wales delivery unit is included in the plans as well. Now, we know, or we expect, routine procedures to be highly likely to be put on hold in certain parts of the winter. That might be unfair and I'd appreciate your view on that. That would be my assessment. To help reduce the backlog in England, the English NHS is proposing to use technology to combat lengthy waiting lists, including an option on the NHS app to find hospitals who have capacity for specific treatments. Now, of course, we're still using fax machines and we're still waiting for e-prescriptions to be fully rolled out, and we have no live NHS app. So, can you tell me, Minister, how you're using technology to alleviate winter pressures, leading to helping to reduce the need to cancel routine procedures?

A few questions around the workforce, Minister, which you've mentioned in your statement today. There is, of course, a threat of strikes by nurses—that's going to ballot shortly. I'm aware that 6.2 per cent of staff in the NHS are currently off though illness. That's usually 5 per cent, in pre-COVID times, so keep that in mind. There are five health boards in Wales who have spent nearly £200 million on agency staff in just one financial year. So, a number of workforce issues in that regard. What are your plans to increase capacity in the NHS workforce so that health provision is, of course, delivered as it should be over the winter period?

I would also raise, Minister, alongside this, that the Welsh NHS Confederation has expressed concern about the capacity needed to deliver the Welsh Government's vaccine strategy for this winter, which includes the rolling out, of course, of both the flu and COVID vaccinations across a wide range of groups. So, in your assessment, is there capacity to deliver the vaccination strategy, and what challenges, Minister, do you foresee, given also the other workforce challenges that I've also outlined?

We also know that, of course, many people sadly died from COVID after actually going into hospital with another illness. And we know that that happened to a greater extent in Wales than in other parts of the UK. So, you've outlined some statements today in your contribution, but can I ask what lessons have been learned in terms of what will be done differently to ensure that hospital-acquired infections are kept to a minimum? They can't be entirely eliminated, but what is being done to keep that to a minimum?

And finally, Minister, we saw restrictions on people's lives introduced last Christmas due to the omicron variant. I wonder what lessons were learned from the Welsh Government's reaction to that new variant last year. What would you do differently this winter in a similar position? And effectively, what are your trigger points for introducing any restrictions this winter?