VALE OF CLWYD Senedd Member Gareth Davies has today challenged the First Minister in the Senedd over what he described as years of inaction and scaling back of plans for the long-promised North Denbighshire Community Hospital on the site of the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl.
During First Minister’s Questions, Mr Davies raised serious concerns about the lack of community hospital capacity in North Wales, following recent comments by former consultant surgeon Dr Jonathan Osborne, who said that expanding community hospital beds was key to tackling long A&E waiting times at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.
Mr Davies criticised the Welsh Government for taking over twelve years to deliver a project first announced in 2013, noting that the original plans for around 30 community beds have now been reduced to just 14. He remarked that the need for beds in the region now exceeds 30, so the 14 being offered will be insufficient in reducing pressure on Glan Clwyd Hospital.
In response, the First Minister said that the business case for the first phase of the Royal Alexandra Hospital site “has been submitted by the Health Board” and that they “hope it might reduce pressure on Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.”
She also added: “On the whole, people would rather be looked at in their own homes.”
Mr Davies said the people of North Wales deserved better after more than a decade of delays and uncertainty over vital community healthcare provision.
Commenting after the exchange, Gareth Davies MS said: “The Welsh Government has dithered for over a decade, letting costs spiral and leaving North Denbighshire without the hospital it was promised and contributing to the dire A&E waiting times we see today.
“We would have had 30 extra beds back in 2016 if Ministers hadn’t sat on their hands, but they did, and now we’re being offered just 14 – nowhere near enough to ease the pressure on Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.
“Dr Osborne’s comments reflect what local people have been saying for years, yet the First Minister refused to even acknowledge his remarks.
“It’s time for the Welsh Government to honour their original commitment to our community and finally deliver the healthcare North Wales needs.”
