I'm really pleased to be here today, and I really welcome the constructive way that Peter Fox has introduced this debate and the proposals that he has made. We are all aware that our health and social services are facing extreme pressure this winter, and, as Peter said, this is the position across the whole of the UK.

As well as continuing to deal with COVID-19 patients, of whom there are currently more than 500 in hospitals across Wales, we're seeing significant numbers of other respiratory viruses, and an increase in people with serious illnesses coming forward for diagnosis and treatment, and I know we do continue to ask a lot of our health and care staff. They have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, and the current pressures mean that they're not always able to provide the level of care that they would like to. Our workforce also continues to be affected by COVID-related sickness absence and self-isolation requirements.

Our ambulance and 111 services are seeing unprecedented levels of demand, and I think you've probably heard these examples before, but they're worth repeating. On just one day, 27 December, the 111 telephone service received 8,500 calls—the highest ever number of calls in a day. The ambulance service received 210 immediately life-threatening calls. Over 550 people were admitted to hospital; 551 COVID patients were in acute hospital beds, which is over 5 per cent of our total bed capacity, and over 3 per cent of beds were occupied by patients with flu; and 12 per cent of beds were taken up by people who were awaiting discharge.

Our primary and community care services are experiencing similar levels of increased demand. Total contacts to GPs last week were over 12 per cent higher than this time last year. And along with the increased numbers of patients seeking medical care, one of our biggest challenges is making sure that people can leave hospital as soon as it is safe for them to do so. And pressures in the social care system, as has been illustrated already, are currently making this very difficult.

Austerity and the subsequent pressure on budgets have seen social care workforce pay decline in comparison to other sectors, and has exacerbated recruitment challenges. We have announced funding of £70 million, so that local authorities and health boards can implement the real living wage uplift, and I acknowledge that Gareth Davies welcomed this proposal, and we are striving to improve employment terms and conditions for the sector, because it's not just the pay, it's the terms and conditions as well, and we certainly share, Peter, your vision of having health and social care staff on a parity.

Our population is ageing, and this is a testament, of course, to the effectiveness of our NHS over many years. It's great that so many people are living so much longer, but obviously it does bring challenges. Patients aged 55 and over account for over 90 per cent of our emergency in-patient bed days. More than half of all bed days are for patients aged 75 and over, and we know that, for this cohort, being discharged as soon as they are medically fit is crucial to their recovery. They're less likely to pick up an infection from others. They'll sleep better in their own beds and get the rest they need, and they'll be more confident in moving around in their own surroundings, so will build up their strength quicker than in the hospital. So, it is really crucial that we do get people out of hospital as soon as we possibly can.