Welsh Conservative Co-Leader PoliticoBailey has made his way to Cardiff following the Welsh Conservative manifesto launch, to talk about healthcare near the University Hospital of Wales. This provided a good opportunity to speak to voters and create videos detailing the Welsh Conservative plan for the National Health Service.

Good afternoon everyone, it’s good to be here outside the University Hospital of Wales to put forward our vision for Health and Social Care in Wales. One of the main priorities of any Welsh Government is to protect and improve our National Health Service - providing the efficient services and support that the Welsh people need. Our NHS is there for everyone at their time of need, and it is only right that it has a Welsh Government that will properly govern in the best interests of patient care and services.

We in the Welsh Conservatives will provide that effective Government. I myself have been campaigning on the issue of improved Health and Social Care services for a while now, including when I stood as an Independent at the last election. I am pleased that we have been able to put forward comprehensive and thorough policy commitments in this area, ensuring that if elected we will govern to create a Welsh NHS that is fit for purpose.

We do need to be honest about the fact that GP satisfaction levels have decreased in recent years, and this is something that we should be proactive about acknowledging. It is important that patients can see their General Practitioner with the confidence and trust that they will be seen and cared for - and the Welsh Government has an important role to play in this regard. The Welsh Conservatives would create a Minor Ailments Service, supported by £10 million per year in grants for pharmacies who take part. By moving up to 13% of consultations from GP practices to community pharmacies - we would improve the efficacy of community-led healthcare, and reduce the pressure of the workload that is overbearing General Practices across Wales.

By reforming community-led care freeing up spaces and improving the pressures faced by GP practices, we will be able to ensure that those who wish to see their doctor face-to-face are able to do so. We’d enshrine this right into legislation, not to discourage the growing digital evolution within the National Health Service which has the power to bring large beneficial change - but to give patients more autonomy over how they would like to be treated and cared for when consulting their GP. Alongside this, we’d invest £150 million pounds into a new diagnosis fund, allowing us to introduce new technological healthcare advances to improve health outcomes and prevention.

Speaking of health outcomes and improving patient care, let me turn to treatment. The Welsh Conservatives would create a £25 million New Treatment Fund for Wales - a cost-effective plan which would surge funding into new medicines, treatments and equipment approved by UK regulators. By directing this funding into a new rapid treatment scheme, we could dramatically lower the time between approval of treatments and them being used to support patients across Wales - ultimately improving outcomes and ensuring people are not waiting weeks to receive the medicines and treatment that they need. Alongside this, we will work with schools too - providing free vitamin supplements to children of primary school age with a pilot programme implemented within the next year.

Finally let me turn onto staffing and alleviating the pressures that the National Health Service can face with fluctuating demand. The Welsh Conservatives would work tirelessly in Government to ensure that the NHS is equipped to deal with increased demand, and remains resilient in the face of different pressures and challenges. That’s why we have pledged to train an army of NHS reservist workforces, bringing together former healthcare workers and members of the public to support the NHS at different levels throughout the busiest times. This would be a sensible reinforcement plan to support our healthcare systems in their time of need.

While we do not believe the Senedd should lose powers over the Welsh National Health Service, we also believe that there are clear and present opportunities for a closer working relationship with NHS England. We would, if elected, launch a full review of where cross-border co-operation between our two services could be feasibly formed and be beneficial for Wales.

The policies that I have laid out before you today are the bedrock of a new age for our healthcare system in Wales, and the roadmap for delivery by a Welsh Government that cares about the Wales of the future. We’re focusing on communities, prevention, treatment, and planning - and I’m proud of the platform that we are able to present to you in this Senedd election. We stand ready to provide a fresh start for Wales, and we’re ready to get on and deliver this agenda for communities right across the country.