Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood has sought assurances from the Welsh Government that health services in the valleys won’t be downgraded as a result of proposals to merge services at two General Hospitals.
The AM for South Wales Central raised the issue with the Health Minister Lesley Griffiths in the Senedd after examining the Cwm Taf Local Health Board Workforce Plan for 2011 to 2017. The document suggests that “in order to meet such a financial challenge” it would be necessary to deliver “the equivalent of a single District General Hospital service but across two sites i.e. Prince Charles Hospital and Royal Glamorgan Hospital.”
The document adds: “As a result there will be different but complementary service models across the 2 sites – work is ongoing to develop the clinical models with the full engagement of our clinical workforce and service partners.
“When this is known it will be reflected in the 2012 Workforce Plan together with other appropriate service changes as they are agreed.”
Ms Wood told Ms Griffiths:
“The Cwm Taf Local Health Board workforce plan for 2011 to 2017 says that, due to financial challenges, a major reconfiguration of acute services is required to ensure that a sustainable model is developed.
“It spells out what this means, namely the delivery of the equivalent of a single district general hospital across two sites: the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr and the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant.
“Minister, there is no appetite locally to do this; in fact, there would be a strong opposition to the downgrading of services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital and Prince Charles Hospital. Do you agree that any downgrading of services would be detrimental to these areas, which traditionally have high levels of poor health? What assurances can you provide to the people in the areas that are served by those hospitals?”
In response the Minister replied:
“I have had the opportunity to visit both those hospitals in the past month and I can see that there are specific concerns about both of them. I have also met the chair and chief executive of Cwm Taf Local Health Board—as I have for all health boards apart from one, whom I will meet next week—and they will send me their detailed plans by the middle of September.
“Until then, we will not decide on any downgrading, as you call it.”
