3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: NHS Winter Pressures

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:47 pm on 10 January 2023.

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Photo of Natasha Asghar Natasha Asghar Conservative 3:47, 10 January 2023

Minister, thank you so much for your statement this afternoon. Now, technology, without a doubt, is advancing at a rapid speed, with companies coming out with major developments to improve health outcomes. So, I'd be interested to know, Minister, what, if any, tech devices the Welsh Government is looking into to alleviate pressure on our health service this winter and going forward? The reason why I'm specifically asking this question is because I attended CES, the world's biggest tech conference, and managed to see some of these huge developments taking place in medical technology. Now, without sounding like a medical rep who's come back from the States, one company that really stood out was one called MedWand Solutions, which actually has recently launched its MedWand device, no bigger than a mouse, linked to your computer. But this handy device actually provides a ready-to-use system, which includes a tool that allows you to link a laptop to, in fact, a small device, which has sensors that can listen to your heart, measure heart rate, perform an electrocardiogram, listen to your lungs, measure blood pressure, oxygen levels, check temperature, and even listen to your abdomen. It can even look into your nose, throat, mouth and ears, as well as inspect your skin. Now, just this one device alone, Minister, has the potential to seriously change the landscape when it comes to providing healthcare from up close and afar, as well as alleviating pressure on our hardworking staff across the sector, including within hospitals, doctors' surgeries, and even make life easier for paramedics as well.

Now, patients with multiple health issues, the elderly, those with disabilities, alongside those who struggle to get out and about, would really benefit from this. I'm sure it's obviously a lot more intricate than what I've described here in front of you all today, but the main point I'm trying to make, Minister—. And I may be sounding, like I said, like a medical rep now, but similar devices to this would not only improve outcomes for patients across Wales, but would also alleviate pressure on our NHS, which is something you want to do and we want to see as well, not just for winter, but all year round as well.

As you've said, Minister, our health staff are under immense pressure, and it's going to keep on getting more challenging for us all. So, it might be a long and complicated process to get something like this rolled out here in Wales, but, Minister, will you commit to looking into this product and similar? And as I asked earlier, please can you kindly outline what other devices or tech solutions the Welsh Government is looking into to alleviate pressure on the NHS? And I'd really welcome the opportunity to talk with you further about this in more detail and provide you with contact details, if you so wish. Thank you.