UK COVID-19 Inquiry

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:40 pm on 28 March 2023.

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Photo of Joel James Joel James Conservative 1:40, 28 March 2023

As the First Minister will be aware, COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru have submitted considerable concerns to the UK COVID-19 inquiry abut the capability of the Welsh NHS during the pandemic. The list is quite substantial, and one particular point I would like to pick up is their concern regarding the lack of long-term investment in IT infrastructure and digitisation of NHS Wales. We know that NHS Wales is lagging considerably behind its English counterpart on its IT infrastructure, and this ultimately has an impact in many different ways. For example, we have particular issues in interoperability of systems between primary and secondary care and between health systems and the police, which is vital in terms of helping to address mental health issues. With this in mind, First Minister, does this Government have any plans to now ring-fence resources for digital transformation to enable upgraded and new IT systems? And do you believe that we should have a national minimum standard for IT equipment in NHS Wales? Thank you.