Darren Millar, Assembly Member for Clwyd West, has welcomed news that further consultation will be held on the future of maternity services in North Wales.
The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has announced today that a further stakeholder meeting will be held to discuss the future of maternity and child health services in North Wales. The event for clinicians, staff and patients will be held on 6th December. The additional stakeholder consultation follows news that the Welsh Assembly’s Health Wellbeing and Local Government Committee will hold an inquiry into the way the public have been consulted about changes to health services in North Wales.
The Health Board is currently undertaking 11 reviews of clinical services in North Wales. Areas covered by the reviews include maternity, obstetric and paediatric care, and emergency general surgery.
Darren said:
‘The announcement of this additional meeting with stakeholders is welcome. But it is still too little too late and falls well short of the public consultation demanded by campaigners and patients.
‘There has been a public outcry at the options being considered by the Health Board for maternity and child health services in our area and widespread concern about the lack of consultation.’
He added, ‘It is important that there is maximum public engagement in these reviews and that the views of the people of North Wales are able to influence decisions about local NHS services at the earliest opportunity – not months into the review process.’
