But what I want to do in this debate is to take the opportunity to look at a longer term transformation that is needed to help our health and social care system to build back more resiliently. Because throwing more money at a problem isn’t always the answer; we need to make sure that the resources are used in the right way. We need to deliver a health system that focuses on delivering the three rights: providing excellent healthcare to the right patient, at the right place, and at the right time.

Deputy Llywydd, I must thank the stakeholders and clinicians, and there were many of them, who helped me prepare for this debate. I've centred my thoughts as to how we can build back more resiliently around five key points, to which I will now speak, although, of course, these are not silver bullets and must be part of a much more extensive programme of reforms and collaboration with clinicians, service users, all tiers of Government and other stakeholders so that we can deliver the services that people need and expect.

The first one is equipping the NHS with reliable and efficient technology. Advances in technology can help to transform healthcare and support preventative actions, as well as providing patients with more avenues to access appointments and get the help that they need. We have already seen some progress being made in this regard as a result of the pandemic. But more can be done to embed new technologies into everyday practice to reduce pressures on out-patient clinics, and to improve data sharing to assist with diagnosis and treatment. For example, the Royal College of Physicians have suggested looking at improving access to wearable technology as part of a proactive prevention programme within community health settings. Meanwhile, the likes of the British Medical Association have suggested that the NHS IT and technology infrastructure could be upgraded to ensure that accurate and clear waiting times and diagnosis information is available for staff and patients. Of course, an over-reliance on technology could exclude some people, and so there should be a concerted effort to improve information provision so that patients and their families have the information that they need to support their care. Therefore, the British Red Cross have called for patients to be provided with clear, accessible guidance about the discharge process to ensure that they have the support that they need at home.