Further to the announcement that St David’s Hospice will be temporary closing their four in-patient beds at Penrhos Stanley, Holyhead, from October 2025, Janet Finch-Saunders MS has been campaigning in the Senedd so to try and secure emergency support from the Welsh Government.
Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Welsh Government, has now sent a further response to Mrs Finch-Saunders in which he:
- Outlines the funding already allocated to hospices in Wales over the past 18 months;
- Advises that the Chief Executive and Executive Director of Nursing at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board have had a further meeting with St David’s Hospice to explore the feasibility of models which may prevent long-term closure of the Holyhead hospice (these discussions are not yet at the stage of determining dates or future working models);
- Notes that “Providing palliative and end-of-life care to the people of North Wales is the responsibility of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and, as such, it will be best placed to answer any further queries that you may have in relation to this matter”.
Commenting after receiving the letter from the Cabinet Secretary, Janet said:
“Increased demand and the importance of palliative care is unquestionable. Already, it is extraordinary that a population of over 300,000 people in Conwy, Gwynedd, and Ynys Môn are only served by 16 hospice beds: 12 in Llandudno and 4 in Holyhead. With our area’s older population, and estimated increasing demands for palliative care, a 25% reduction in provision in North West Wales is absurd.
“When considering the facts, it is genuinely shocking that the Cabinet Secretary for Health has failed to come forward with a short term rescue package.
“It is even more extraordinary that he is directing me to send further questions to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. To be clear, the closure of the Holyhead hospice is an emergency situation, and should be treated as such and receiving attention by the Cabinet Secretary for Health”.
ENDS
Yn dilyn y cyhoeddiad y bydd Hosbis Dewi Sant yn cau’r ward pedwar gwely i gleifion mewnol ym Mhenrhos Stanley, Caergybi, am gyfnod dros dro o fis Hydref 2025 ymlaen, mae Janet Finch-Saunders AS wedi bod yn ymgyrchu yn y Senedd er mwyn ceisio sicrhau cymorth brys gan Lywodraeth Cymru.
Mae Jeremy Miles AS, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol, Llywodraeth Cymru, wedi anfon ymateb pellach at Mrs Finch-Saunders lle mae'n:
- Amlinellu'r cyllid sydd eisoes wedi'i ddyrannu i hosbisau yng Nghymru dros y 18 mis diwethaf;
- Nodi bod Prif Weithredwr a Chyfarwyddwr Gweithredol Nyrsio Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr wedi cael cyfarfod pellach â Hosbis Dewi Sant i archwilio dichonoldeb modelau a allai atal cau hosbis Caergybi yn y tymor hir (nid oes dyddiad wedi'i bennu ar gyfer y trafodaethau hyn eto, nac ar gyfer modelau gwaith y dyfodol);
- Dweud mai cyfrifoldeb Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr yw darparu gofal lliniarol a gofal diwedd oes i bobl y Gogledd, ac mai nhw fydd yn y sefyllfa orau i ateb unrhyw ymholiadau pellach ar y mater hwn.
Wrth ymateb i'r llythyr gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, dywedodd Janet:
“Does dim dwywaith fod gofal lliniarol yn bwysig a bod mwy o alw amdano. Ac eto, mae'n rhyfeddol mai dim ond 16 o welyau hosbis sy'n gwasanaethu poblogaeth o 300,000 a mwy yn siroedd Conwy, Gwynedd ac Ynys Môn: 12 yn Llandudno a 4 yng Nghaergybi. Gyda phoblogaeth hŷn ein hardal, a'r galw cynyddol am ofal lliniarol, mae gostyngiad o 25% yn y ddarpariaeth yn y Gogledd-orllewin yn gwbl hurt.
“Wrth ystyried y ffeithiau, mae'n syfrdanol bod Ysgrifennydd Iechyd y Cabinet wedi methu â chyflwyno pecyn achub tymor byr.
“Mae hyd yn oed yn fwy rhyfeddol ei fod yn fy nghyfarwyddo i anfon cwestiynau pellach at Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr. I fod yn glir, mae cau hosbis Caergybi yn sefyllfa o argyfwng, a dylid ei drin felly, gan gael sylw gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd”.
DIWEDD
