The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has today (10 November) urged the First Minister to ensure that more wards are set aside for non-Covid related treatment in North Wales, as a means of tackling Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s orthopaedic crisis.
Last week, Mrs Finch-Saunders was advised that North Wales has witnessed a considerable increase in the number of patients waiting for orthopaedic appointments. But neither the Acting Chief Executive nor the Welsh Minister for Health have been able to provide dates for treatment.
Commenting on her question to the First Minister, Janet said:
“As things stand in North Wales, residents with non-Coronavirus medical needs are at severe risk of being left behind. I was most concerned to learn of one incident recently, in which a constituent who saw their gastro appointment cancelled in April has only now secured a telephone consultation by turning to Twitter. This is not a sustainable way forward.
“In response to an orthopaedic case that I raised directly with the Minister for Health; Vaughan Gething wrote that “it is difficult for the health board to provide an understanding of when services may return for non-urgent patients.” This is plainly unacceptable and leaves my constituents adrift.
“This is why I used a question today to urge the First Minister to outline what steps his administration will take to ensure that more wards are set aside for non-Covid related treatment in North Wales. I also asked for a strategy to be implemented to tackle BCUHB’s current orthopaedic crisis.
“It is not enough to casually blame our current circumstances, with no real plan for how to address the issue. Whilst COVID has certainly led to NHS waiting lists growing longer, the pandemic has only put a spotlight on how bad things were before. Don’t you think that North Wales deserves better?
“It is a sorry fact that a lack of vision by this top-heavy administration, and the dithering guiding hand of this Welsh Labour-led Government, continues to undermine the Board’s chances to manoeuvre out of special measures. I will continue to push for this issue to be confronted as a matter of priority.”
ENDS
