The pressure on our NHS is a very real issue felt every day across the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area. From longer waiting times to overstretched GP services, the gap between primary and secondary care is becoming more pronounced and more damaging.

At the heart of this challenge lies a simple truth: we are too often treating illness late, rather than preventing it early.

Our GPs, community nurses, and pharmacists, should be the front door of the health system. It is where early intervention happens and conditions are managed before they escalate. But right now, that front door is under immense strain. Patients struggle to get timely appointments, and professionals work under unsustainable pressure.

The consequence is more people ending up in our hospitals with conditions that could have been managed or avoided. This drives up waiting lists, increases costs, and leads to poorer outcomes for our communities. This widening gap is not just a structural issue; it is a human one. When primary care struggles, patients feel it first.

That is why we need a renewed focus on the preventative agenda. Prevention should not just be about public health campaigns. It must be about rebalancing the system so primary care has the resources and workforce it needs to do its job effectively.

We need to invest in community-based services, ensuring our GP practices and allied health professionals can spend time with patients, not just manage demand. We need better integration, so patients experience a joined-up system rather than fragmented care. And we must all gain the knowledge to take greater control over our own health.

There are positive examples of prevention initiatives within the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area, and dedicated staff are going above and beyond. But these efforts must be scaled.

If we are serious about the future of our NHS, we must shift the balance. A health service that prioritises prevention is more sustainable, compassionate, and effective. The question is no longer whether we can afford to invest in prevention; it is whether we can afford not to.

The Welsh Conservatives have a plan to fix our health service, and prevention through strong primary care is fundamental to this.