The future of the weekend out-of-hours GP service in the Cynon Valley and Rhondda is under review, Plaid Cymru has learnt.
Health board officials are reviewing the service provided at Aberdare and Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda Hospitals. This could lead to patients having to travel to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil and the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant.
Councillor Pauline Jarman, the Plaid Cymru leader on Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, said that she had been approached by staff concerned about possible chanPaulinges in the service.
Councillor Jarman, who has contacted the Cwm Taf Health Board to raise concerns, said: “I would be very concerned about any reduction in locally delivered health services.
“Certainly as far as the Cynon Valley is concerned I’d want to see the weekend out of-hours service delivered from the new hospital at Mountain Ash and not from Prince Charles which can be very difficult to get to in the winter.”
Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales Central, said: “In an area where car ownership is low, moving this service to Merthyr Tydfil and Llantrisant would make things very difficult for patients.
“I understand that the health board provides transport for patients with travelling difficulties. But given the greater distances that people will have to travel, coupled with increasing fuel costs, this service can only continue if its budget is increased. It will also add time to assessments and with some conditions, like heart failure, time is of the essence.”
“The Labour Welsh Government promised at the last election to provide out-of-hours GP provision. How do these proposals fit in with that? But if Labour is going to extend GP opening hours without renegotiating contracts this will inevitably increase costs. Plaid believes GPs’ contracts should meet the needs of communities as part of their core service and not as an add-on.”
