Concerns raised over delays to opening of new £30 million orthopaedic hub

Concerns have been raised over delays to the opening of a new £30 million orthopaedic hub in Llandudno.

Plaid Cymru accused the Welsh Government of mismanagement and a failure to deliver on promises to cut waiting lists during a Senedd debate on the performance of north Wales’ health services.

The debate, tabled by Plaid Cymru, focused on the ongoing challenges facing Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which provides healthcare across north Wales and has spent around two-thirds of its existence in special measures under direct Welsh Government oversight.

Speaking in the Senedd, Plaid Cymru’s North Wales MS Llyr Gruffydd said repeated Labour pledges to improve healthcare performance had failed to materialise, leaving thousands of patients facing long waits for treatment.

“This debate, of course, is about more than numbers on a piece of paper, it’s about people, real people, a number of them living in pain, people who maybe cannot work because of that, and people who have certainly seen their lives put on hold because of a system that doesn’t treat them the way that it should,” he said.

“We hear time and again about the shambles that the Labour Government is making of the task of running the NHS in Wales, but there is nowhere where the results of that mismanagement are more evident than in Betsi Cadwaladr health board.”

Waiting lists

Mr Gruffydd referred to commitments made last year to eliminate the longest NHS waiting lists by the end of 2025. “We heard major pledges last year that the longest waiting lists would be eliminated by the end of 2025. An ambitious pledge, a praiseworthy pledge, but it was just another pipe dream, of course,” he said.

“We haven’t seen the change that we wanted to see, and certainly not the improvement that people wanted to see as well. And what is the situation today? Thousands are still waiting over two years for treatment, and that is a disgrace. Compared to England, the rate of the longest stays in Wales is around 2,400 per cent higher, clear evidence of years of underinvestment and poor planning.”

He added: “So why is there such a gap between what is promised to us and what is delivered? Why are the residents of north Wales repeatedly left time and again with what feel like empty pledges? People are tired of hearing that things are on track; they want to see results.”

Turning to the proposed orthopaedic hub at Llandudno Hospital, Mr Gruffydd said the project had the potential to transform services but warned it risked failure due to delays and planning concerns.

“This project has the potential to transform orthopaedic services in north Wales. We in Plaid Cymru have supported the idea of specialist treatment hubs for a long time, because we’ve seen them be a vital part of reducing waiting lists,” he said.

“But developments of this kind, of course, must take full account of the opinions of clinical experts… Without their guidance, there is a risk of projects failing on the ground. Unfortunately, it appears that is what has happened in the case of Llandudno.”

Clinical leaders

He questioned whether clinical leaders had been properly involved in developing the business case and suggested staffing concerns were not adequately addressed. “As a result, the project has been delayed time and time again… This is a £30 million project but it’s at risk of failure due to fundamental planning errors,” he said.

In response, the Welsh Government said the orthopaedic hub represented a major investment and was expected to begin seeing patients in April 2026.

A spokesperson said: “The Llandudno orthopaedic hub represents a significant £30 million investment in north Wales healthcare and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has confirmed the facility is expected to begin seeing patients in April 2026.

“There have been delays with the development linked to delivering a complex scheme on a live hospital site. We are not aware of any concerns raised by clinical experts. It is essential that when the hub opens, it is fully equipped and appropriately staffed to deliver the high-quality care that people deserve.”

Preparations

Tehmeena Ajmal, Chief Operating Officer at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said preparations were well advanced and defended the project’s governance.

“We are very much looking forward to the opening of The North Wales Surgical Centre at Llandudno Hospital in April 2026 and to welcoming our first patients,” she said.

“As a high-volume centre for hip and knee replacements, the centre will allow more procedures to be carried out each year, helping to reduce waiting times for patients from across the region who meet the clinical criteria.”

She said the development was technically complex and had faced challenges common to major healthcare construction projects but insisted staffing and clinical input had been central throughout.

“A total of 37 new roles have been created… Clinical input has been central to the project throughout,” she added, saying the board remained confident the centre would deliver lasting benefits for patients and staff across north Wales.