No reduction in Doctors call as LHB undertakes final review of health responses

Llanelli AM Keith Davies has written to the Hywel Dda Health Board seeking assurances over the evaluation of responses to the Your Health, Your Future consultation.

The Local Health Board is set to meet in the coming weeks where it is expected a final set of options will be revealed, setting the course for changes to service configuration over the next five years. Given the high level of responses, Mr Davies sought an assurance from Hywel Dda Chief Executive Trevor Purt about how those responses will be weighted before any final decision is reached.

In October, Keith Davies responded formally to the LHB (Local Health Board) consultation, outlining his and the views of his constituents who had contacted his office in recent months.

Mr Davies addressed specific concerns around the availability of Community and Primary Care Services in the Llanelli constituency expressing unease at the loss of any bedded facility within a community setting.

In recent months, Mr Davies has received many calls from constituents who have difficulty in obtaining emergency medical appointments to see their family doctor. In addressing those concerns, Mr Davies criticised the level of engagement between the LHB and GPs during the consultation.

Mr Davies suggested that ‘serious consideration be given to improve the range of services at GP practices and to work more closely with GPs to encourage them to create a greater number of emergency or last minute appointments.’

Welcoming the development of a short stay surgical unit, Keith Davies also endorsed the provision of a centre of excellence, where emphasis would be placed on reducing the number of hospital acquired infections during and after surgery.

In putting his case forward for the retention of the current accident and emergency service at Prince Philip Hospital, Mr Davies underscored the overwhelming view of constituents that ‘there should be no reduction in the availability of doctors at Prince Philip Hospital ready to deliver treatment in an accident and emergency setting.’

Mr Davies said:

“I was especially disappointed with the use of out-dated information in the technical documentation. Since it was produced the economy has failed twice plunging many families into financial hardship. Llanelli has the greatest need of all the communities in the Hywel Dda area. We are an area of high-level deprivation where a reliance of public transport means access to local services is so important.

“Like so many other areas in south Wales, local people are living with chronic, long term health conditions – a legacy of our industrial past. A&E as it is called at Prince Philip Hospital consistently outperforms larger emergency departments at the other nearest hospitals. I’ve made the argument that services should be based around the largest population areas. For me, that is Llanelli and not Carmarthen.”

Throughout the engagement and consultation process, Keith Davies has questioned the ‘hands-off’ input of Hywel Dda into the creation of a south Wales plan by other LHBs in Swansea, Cardiff and Newport.

Keith Davies said:

“We are now in a position where services delivered close to Llanelli, but administered by different Health Boards could change significantly following their own engagement and consultation processes. I would expect to see Hywel Dda Health Board creating a plan that is deliverable, affordable and most importantly sustainable before any changes are introduced.”