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Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:34 pm on 28 March 2023.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:34, 28 March 2023

Well, I thank Natasha Asghar, Llywydd, because she makes an important point, and it's one that's been made a number of times on the floor of the Senedd, that the future of health services has to be based on increased use of those contemporary opportunities that developments in technology and artificial intelligence bring us. We learnt a great deal of this during the COVID pandemic, and, as you know, the Welsh Government has an ambition that, in future, many more consultations will take place remotely, allowing people to avoid difficult journeys, and to increase efficiency in the system. I think the practical examples, through a Welsh company, that the Member has raised this afternoon sound very consistent with that general approach. And I know that the Minister has a very direct interest in making sure that we maximise those opportunities, so that the health service is able to provide in a way that takes advantage of opportunities that weren't there in the past but definitely need to be part of the future here in Wales.