Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies has written to the Welsh Health Minister criticising the eight year lack of progress on the development of the North Denbighshire Community Hospital and calling for the Welsh Government to “reach a positive decision on the Full Business Case as a matter of urgency”.
James has supported the exciting plans for the new hospital on the site of the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl since they were first mooted and in recent years has consistently applied pressure to move the development forward.
He is therefore frustrated by the lack of progress and in a letter to the Welsh Health Minister, Eluned Morgan MS, says it is “unacceptable” and that patients “deserve better”.
James last received an update from the Health Minister on January 25th, but having not heard anything for the past four months, and in light of last week’s HIW report into the Emergency Department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd which highlighted a catalogue of failings, has contacted her again in a bid to progress the development.
His letter states:
“As you will be aware, discussions relating to the transformation of this site have been ongoing since 2014. Whilst I acknowledge that the scope of the project has since expanded, I feel that eight years without any significant progress is unacceptable. Given that four months have elapsed since your response, I regret that I feel obliged to further prompt the matter. The publication of the recent HIW report into the Emergency Department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd provides the latest in a long run of evidence of the dire situation my constituents are often faced with when attempting to access unplanned health care.
“The development of the Royal Alexandra site would provide a much-needed minor injuries unit, alleviating some pressure on A&E at the district general hospital and improving the quality and safety of local healthcare services. My constituents deserve better and I would be grateful if Welsh Government could prioritise this development and reach a positive decision on the Full Business Case as a matter of urgency.”
Services at the new hospital will include community beds, a same-day minor injuries and illness service, a treatment zone, and outpatient therapy and IV therapy services.
Sexual health, community dental, radiology, adult psychology, older people’s mental health, and child and adolescent mental Health services will also be provided from the site.
Further, the development will incorporate infrastructure improvements, including multi-disciplinary working spaces and car parking enhancements.
James added:
“This project has been desperately needed for a long time and residents were excited to hear of the plans when they were first announced. However, they are now losing faith that these will ever come to fruition. Last week’s HIW report and the latest figures on Emergency Department waiting times in Wales, which showed Ysbyty Glan Clwyd is the worst performing hospital with 2 in 3 patients waiting over four hours to be seen, have further demonstrated why the Welsh Government needs to stop dragging its heels over this and instead deliver the service the people of north Denbighshire desperately need.”
