Welsh Government challenged over new hospital plans

Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

The Welsh Government has indicated it will make a statement next week on the future of a new hospital planned for north Wales.

Tory Senedd Member Darren Millar this week called on the Welsh Government to deliver “in full” its plans for a new hospital in Rhyl.

In a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles, Clwyd West MS Darren Millar said there was an urgent need to deliver a new facility to relieve pressures on Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

But Mr Millar, the Welsh Tory leader, also criticised plans being downscaled for the Royal Alexandra Hospital, with funding for the project yet to materialise.

Plans unveiled in 2013 proposed a 30-bed facility, including 18 inpatient beds for older people with mental health problems, along with an x-ray department, ultrasound facilities, a pharmacy, and a Minor Injuries Unit.

Revised plans announced last year proposed a smaller development of 14 beds.

But after receiving the criticism from Mr Millar, a Welsh Government spokeswoman said an announcement would soon follow.

She said: “The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care will be making a statement next week to set out positive next steps for the project.”

In his letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Mr Millar said “that a community hospital with such a limited number of beds risks being unable to fulfil its intended role”.

‘Insufficient capacity’

He added: “Rather than easing pressure on Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, there is a real danger that insufficient capacity will limit its effectiveness and add further pressure to the staffing issues we are already experiencing.

“Healthcare capacity in North Wales is at breaking point. Patients are waiting in Accident and Emergency for days on end and languishing on waiting lists for months or even years. Quite simply, we need more beds.

“Pressures on the health service in North Wales are much greater than they were when the new hospital was originally proposed, so the scaled-back plans currently before us are totally unacceptable.

“While planning permission is now in place for the new hospital, its scale is being limited by finances available from the Welsh Government. Ministers must ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to this project, to ensure the care needs of the region are met.”

He added: “I will continue to challenge decision-makers at every level until we see real progress on the delivery of this vital facility.”

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was contacted for a comment.