Moving complex vascular services from Wrexham Maelor a ‘mistake’, says MS

A north Wales MS has said it was a “mistake” to move complex vascular services from Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

Llyr Gruffydd was responding to an “alarming” report by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) into its botched centralisation, which discovered four historical patient deaths had not been fully declared to the coroner.

The Plaid Cymru Senedd member has said patients in north Wales have been “badly let down”, and has called for a “wholesale rethink” of the reorganisation.

He has also accused the Welsh Government of “gross mismanagement” of the NHS in Wales and said it needs to “get a grip” of the situation.

Vascular services, which relate to issues with the body’s blood vessels, were reorganised in North Wales in April 2019.

As part of this reorganisation, complex procedures were moved from Wrexham Maelor Hospital and Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor to a new hub at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire.

The report was commissioned by the health board after in response to a damning initial report by Royal College of Surgeons (RCS).

The RCS report raised nine urgent recommendations as well as other issues, which include too many patient transfers being made to the centralised hub, a lack of vascular beds and frequent delays in transfers.

“Alarming”

Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “It’s clear from this alarming report that patients in north Wales have been badly let down. The failure to properly declare deaths to the coroner is particularly concerning. The failure to keep accurate and up to date patient records is also a cause for concern.

“The centralisation of complex vascular services by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been an unmitigated disaster and there needs to be a wholesale rethink of this failed strategy.

“It was a mistake for the health board to move these services from Wrexham Maelor Hospital and from Ysbyty Gwynedd, to a hub in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

“The Welsh Government seriously needs to get a grip of the crisis unfolding in the NHS. Its gross mismanagement of the NHS has had terrible consequences and put patient safety at serious risk.”