A review of Wales’ NHS which found that services are in “need of urgent attention and turnaround”. Really? Anyone with any dealings with the body that’s supposed to look after us could have told you that.

The much-vaunted report by the by the Ministerial Advisory Group on NHS Performance and Productivity, which was set up in October to look at the effectiveness of current NHS Wales arrangements, gave a slew of recommendations to improve performance as it warned that “the health and care system in Wales faces a major challenge.”

“Demand is growing, costs are rising, public finances are stretched and a number of outcomes of care are falling behind relevant international comparators,” the review thundered.

The review, led by Sir David Sloman, focused on planned care, diagnostics, cancer performance and urgent and emergency care and considered ways to improve productivity and performance, including digital and data and improving regional working.

The Ministerial Advisory Group report made 29 recommendations, including suggestions for improving waiting list management, removing unwarranted variation in treatment, using national and regional plans to establish sustainable services and enhancing leadership within NHS Wales.

But the bIggest problem the NHS is facing is cash. Not enough of it. Who would have guessed? Did we really need a review by Sir David to tell us this?

And if we’re being honest, we’re in this state because the service has been underfunded for decades. That timeframe covers 14 years of Conservative Governments ruling in Westminster - and a quarter of a century of Labour rule in Wales.

Sir David’s review calls for for the health budget to be increased “on an ongoing annual basis”.

“The recent confirmation of an increase in the capital budget from £479m to £554m for 2025/26 is welcomed,” the report said.

We all know that. And what’s more, we all know that the budget will be increased right now: There’s a Senedd election in 12 months’ time.

Let’s just stop applying Bandaids to the NHS. Let’s have an adult debate on what needs to happen and ringfence all funding. Anything else is just playing politics. We deserve better than that. We just want an NHS that works.