RECRUITMENT PROBLEMS HIGHLIGHTED AT WEST WALES HEALTH BOARD

Questions by Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Simon Thomas have revealed
recruitment problems at hospitals in Aberystwyth and Haverfordwest.

Mr Thomas also discussed the ongoing problems in securing day and
night time paediatric care with Hywel Dda Community Health Council
this week.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health Vaughan Gething admits in answering
a question on Bronglais Hospital: “Hywel Dda University Health Board
is experiencing challenges in recruiting a substantive workforce.”

The Cabinet Secretary on the issue of opening hours of the
paediatric care unit in Withybush Hospital, Pembrokeshire adds:  
“The health board has continued to work hard to attract and recruit
suitably qualified staff to join its paediatric medical team,
including the launch of a targeted paediatric recruitment strategy in
February 2017. Unfortunately, this has not resulted in the recruitment
of a sufficient number of consultants to currently support the
re-establishment of the 12 hour PACU service.”

Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas said:

“Wales has one of the lowest number of doctors per head in Europe
and some of the worst waiting times for diagnosis and treatment in the
UK. It simply is not good enough. People living in Ceredigion and
Pembrokeshire deserve decent healthcare not a second rate or even
third rate services.

“Only Plaid Cymru has a long term solution to the recruitment of
health professionals in our hospitals and GP surgeries.

“We have a plan to train and recruit an additional 1000 doctors and
5000 nurses for the Welsh NHS in the next decade. The attitude of the
Labour Government fills me with despair.”