Plaid will continue to campaign for a doctor-led A+E service…

Plaid Cymru Llanelli are disappointed and angry with the announcement on Tuesday 24th September made by Labour Health Minister Mark Drakeford that the A+E unit at Prince Philip Hospital will be replaced by a nurse-led, doctor supported unit.

Mid and West Wales AM Simon Thomas said:

” The announcement made will disappoint the people of Llanelli. The panel’s decision to support the reconfiguration of life-saving A+E services away from the people of Llanelli is extremely concerning and a huge blow for the town. Plaid Cymru has supported the local campaign to save services in Prince Philip Hospital and we will continue to make the case to the Minister for retaining these services. We believe that lifesaving services should be located as close to patients as possible, and therefore we believe that retaining the doctor-led A+E service in the hospital is important. I am also concerned that the increased pressure that will be put on Morriston hospital has not been considered. The Labour Government is intent on closing A+E services in Llanelli and Plaid Cymru will not sit by and let this happen.”

Sean Rees, Plaid Llanelli Press Officer added:

“This report in its recommendations does not go far enough to improve matters for us here in Llanelli. Plaid Cymru has consistently campaigned alongside local residents for a fully-fledged A+E unit at Prince Philip Hospital led by the service of a doctor. 33,000 residents in the largest populated town in West Wales signed petitions to oppose this action, however as feared we have all been completely ignored. This downgrade will have a severe effect on our communities and for future generations to come.The emergency departments at Glangwili and Morriston are already overstretched and this immoral outcome will add even further pressure onto those units. Yet again it will be us Llanelli residents that are left disadvantaged. Labour controls the health service in Wales and they must now be fully held to account for the responsibility of their actions. We must all reject this decision as it is paramount that Llanelli has a safe NHS where the standard of patient care will always come first”.

Party of Wales Shadow Health Minister Elin Jones continued:

“The Welsh Government has itself admitted that failure to plan for the workforce and financial mismanagement has led to the need to reconfigure services. If staff shortages are the problem, then recruitment is the remedy. Plaid Cymru has put forward a range of solutions tried and tested in other countries of a similar size to Wales including financial incentives to encourage graduate doctors to practice here and in the short term increased recruitment of doctors from other EU nations. Plaid Cymru is clear that centralising life-saving services away from patients is wrong. We fought for a decade to protect lifesaving services in local hospitals, and we will continue to oppose any unsafe changes. Consultant-led emergency and services are an essential part of a safe, modern NHS service.”