Plaid Cymru Statement on Llanelli’s Prince Philip Hospital

Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas recently waded into the debate about the future of Prince Phillip Hospital in Llanelli in response to Keith Davies Open Letter re the no confidence motion levied against Health Minister Lesley Griffiths.

Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas said: “While I accept that the vote of no confidence has fallen the threat to services at Prince Philip Hospital remain. All across Wales, people are worried about their hospital services, and with good reason. In Llanelli there is no paediatrics, no maternity ward, and no acute surgery. We do not want Prince Philip Hospital to remain as it is, we want improvements. This is not about playing politics; it is about taking responsibility for important decisions that affect us all.

“The Welsh Government is willing to take the credit for the opening of new services, but fails to take responsibility for closures. The Health Minister Lesley Griffiths survived the vote of no confidence by the skin of her teeth. She survived because no Labour Assembly Member including Llanelli AM Keith Davies voted for change. This train wreck of a Government has to take responsibility for their decisions and Labour Assembly Members have to be made accountable for the choices they have made in supporting the Minister.”

Plaid Cymru Llanelli Communications Officer Sean Rees said:

“The No Confidence Motion had everything to do with Prince Philip Hospital because every Health board in Wales including Hywel Dda are answerable to the Labour Health Minister Lesley Griffiths.

The action of Keith Davies AM to support his Health Minister indicates he is prepared to follow his party line than save our vital emergency services.

The consultation exercise is a sham, the Welsh Government have released their Welsh Infrastructure Investment Plan which includes a map outlining Llanelli’s A+E as a Minor Injuries Unit.

The people of Llanelli have spoken of their concerns at demonstrations and through petitions therefore I urge the Welsh Labour Government to listen, Let us all work together, regardless of politics to retain our emergency services and to ensure that Prince Philip gets the money it deserves from the Welsh Government.”