Siân Gwenllian MS has called on the newly-appointed Welsh Government Health Minister Eluned Morgan MS to restore full vascular services at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.
Her calls were made after the publication of a report she has branded as “damning.”
The centralisation of vascular services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd occurred in 2019, despite local opposition. Campaigners against the move have argued that the previous service at Ysbyty Gwynedd was widely-considered to be “world class.” Only last month local campaigner Ken Jones, the secretary of Ysbyty Gwynedd’s Kidney Patients Association backed Siân Gwenllian’s call to bring back vascular services to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.
The independent report, commissioned by the Royal College of Surgeons of England has made 22 recommendations, nine of them of an urgent nature. Many campaigners feel the report have confirmed their suspicions.
Issues raised included:
“Consistent reports” that the 18-bed capacity of the Glan Clwyd site vascular ward was “insufficient for the demand.”
Demand on vascular bed capacity at Glan Clwyd said to have been “significantly impacted” by the lack of arrangements in place for non-complex vascular activity at Ysbyty Gwynedd and Wrexham Maelor.
And “inconsistent understanding” amongst staff at Ysbyty Gwynedd and Maelor “regarding the availability and accessibility of the consultant vascular surgeons assigned to the site.”
Newly-re-elected Arfon MS Siân Gwenllian has reacted, calling the report ‘damning’ – she said: “This is the third report to be published since the removal of the vascular service from Ysbyty Gwynedd – and is again a damning report – underlining the substantial decline in the care of patients since the change came into effect two years ago.
“The fact that the report contains nine recommendations that need urgent attention is recognition that the new arrangements simply do not work.
“There are not enough beds and not enough staff at Glan Clwyd – this reinforces what I’m hearing on the ground with staff unable to refer patients for emergency care – and patients suffering as a result.
“It’s very clear by now that disbanding a world famous vascular unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd was a huge mistake and that it was done for questionable reasons and in a way which has lead the public to lose all confidence in the health board.
“The new Labour Health Minister, Eluned Morgan needs to intervene urgently – there is only one credible solution – and that is to re-instate the service in full at Ysbyty Gwynedd.”
