Diolch i’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet am y datganiad heddiw. Fel mae’n digwydd, mae’r pwyllgor iechyd yma yn y Cynulliad yn ymchwilio ar hyn o bryd i barodrwydd y gwasanaeth iechyd am y gaeaf. Rydym ni’n edrych ymlaen at y sesiwn dystiolaeth efo’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn y dyddiau nesaf. Oes, mae yna dystiolaeth sydd wedi cael ei chlywed fel rhan o’n hymgynghoriad ni hyd yma sydd yn dangos elfennau o bwysau ychwanegol—mae pediatreg yn un penodol sydd wedi dod i’r amlwg. Ond, wir, yr hyn sy’n dod i’r amlwg fwyaf ydy hyn: petasai’r gwasanaeth iechyd â’r capasiti cyffredinol i ymdopi gydol y flwyddyn, mi fuasai ganddo fo’r capasiti i ddelio efo unrhyw gynnydd dros dro sy’n digwydd, p’un ai yn y gaeaf neu ar unrhyw adeg arall o’r flwyddyn, er enghraifft yr haf, pan fo adrannau achosion brys ar eu prysuraf. Beth sydd gennym ni, wrth gwrs, yn y datganiad yma heddiw ydy amlinelliad o nifer o bethau mae’r Llywodraeth yn eu gwneud i drio ymateb i sialensau y gaeaf, ond rydw i’n credu bod yna anwybyddu’r ffactorau ehangach yna. Mae o’n sôn am geisio lleihau mynediad i adran damweiniau ac achosion brys ac arosiadau dros nos, ond nid ydy o’n sôn llawer am ofal cymdeithasol ar wahân i ddweud bod gweithwyr cymdeithasol yn mynd i fod mewn ysbytai er mwyn cyflymu’r broses o gael pobl allan. Ac rydym ni’n gwybod, wrth gwrs, bod yna ddiffyg integreiddio yn y system fel ag y mae hi.

Four quick questions if I could: the statement acknowledges that pressure on the system is year-round, as I stated. Is the Cabinet Secretary happy that the overall capacity of the system is capable of dealing with the pressures each season brings? And we remember that winter happens every year. Secondly, extra beds: perhaps you could give us a little bit more detail about the kind of extra beds that you are seeing coming on stream. Thirdly, a specific question on keeping patients away from their general practitioner: NHS England has had a great deal of publicity over its scheme to let pharmacists see people with sore throats to determine whether the infection is viral or bacterial. Is NHS Wales looking at that specifically? And, finally, turning it on its head somewhat, the focus of many of the Government’s efforts, it seems, is on speeding up discharge, but we know of research showing dangers for some patients in being discharged too early. What is the Government doing to ensure that hospitals pay just as much attention to keeping people in hospital, if that is the right clinical decision, whatever the pressures of winter, so discharges are never, ever motivated by the short-term pressures to clear space?