Two North Wales AMs today urged the Welsh Government to urgently intervene to scrap plans to downgrade maternity services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board yesterday announced its intention to suspend consultant-led maternity services for at least 12 months from April 2015.
Health bosses have said all services will be up and running again at least six months before the opening of the new neonatal intensive care unit in 2017/18.
Clwyd West AM Darren Millar said:
“Families in North Wales should not have to pay the price for the failure of health board bosses to get to grips with staff shortages and recruitment and retention problems.
“Taking away maternity services for some of the most complex pregnancies and forcing expectant parents to travel further is downright dangerous.
“I strongly urge the Welsh Government to intervene to overturn this decision, which has been taken by Betsi Cadwaladr bureaucrats with next to no consultation with patients or even the staff who deliver maternity services across North Wales.”
Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones said:
“There are serious questions about how this decision has been taken in the face of outright opposition from North Wales patients and the real experts in maternity services, the staff who work on the frontline.
“It is clear that Betsi Cadwaladr bosses have failed to learn the lessons of previous attempts to downgrade services at North Wales hospitals and I hope people power will again urge them to listen.
“These proposals are a danger to thousands of unborn babies in North Wales and I hope the Welsh Government will intervene to put a stop to these plans and order health bosses to begin to address chronic staff shortages.”