Preparing for future pandemics Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock gave the virtual opening speech for the Pandemic Preparedness Partnership Conference. From: Thank you Sir Patrick – and good morning everyone. I think this is an incredibly important meeting and an incredibly important process and I’m very grateful to everyone for their time. It was Melinda Gates – who will close this conference tomorrow – who once said: Goals are only wishes, unless you have a plan. And so at the UN last September, the Prime Minister set out a plan: the Five Point Plan to Prevent Future Pandemics.