Cardigan News
Health Minister must insist centralisation plans are scrapped, says AM
2:30pm Friday 3rd February 2012
Ceredigion AM Elin Jones has said that the Health Minister must intervene and insist that the Hywel Dda Health Board scraps its plans to centralise key services away from Bronglais District General Hospital.
The AM was speaking after 50 senior clinicans at Bronglais Hospital signed a letter to the Hywel Dda Health Board and the Health Minister discrediting the Health Board’s proposals to rationalise local healthcare services.
Commenting on the letter, Elin Jones AM said: “The Health Minister has always said that any healthcare changes would only occur on the basis of clinical need. This has now been thoroughly discredited by clinicians at Bronglais Hospital as a result of this letter.
“This letter completely undermines the case put forward by the Health Minister to justify downgrading hospitals and centralising health services. She must now listen to these senior clinical staff who believe that the Health Board’s proposals will endanger patients in Mid Wales, as well as dismantle our health service at a local level.
“Now that a clear majority of the clinicans at Bronglais have spoken, the Minister needs to listen to them and intervene. She must tell the Hywel Dda Health Board to scrap its planned changes to healthcare services at at the hospital”.