Hospital’s frontline staff must be heard and heeded

MANY of us have been very concerned about Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board for some time.

Last week the Health Minister announced that the targeted intervention status is being extended beyond mental health and governance issues to incorporate Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, focussing in particular on the vascular service and emergency department.

Many of us made the case for retaining and building on the vascular service at Ysbyty Gwynedd but it was moved to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, destroying an unit of excellent quality, and we are well aware of the damning and shocking consequences of that decision.

Many of the concerns about the vascular services and other matters have been brought to my attention by patients and their families.

The staff of the health board have also approached me with concerns over the years.

We must not underestimate the wonderful workforce that we have; the people who are battling tremendous challenges on a daily basis.

I’m very grateful to them for their work, but I’m also grateful to those who have brought their concerns forward.

They have helped me understand the true nature of the problems.

Recently, staff members have told me of their concerns about bullying at Ysbyty Gwynedd and this is now being investigated.

Each time a member of staff comes to me, he or she emphasises that I should not mention their names when discussing issues with the health board. For years, there has been a culture of brushing issues under the carpet; of a lack of transparency; of intimidating staff who wish to speak out, and, unfortunately, this seems to be getting worse rather than better. The recent announcement is not going to improve that culture, and that culture is at the root of many of the problems.

The organisation needs wholesale overhaul in order to drive the massive change that’s needed.

We need urgent action across the organisation to create an open culture, one that welcomes the input of staff, not one that seeks to silence them, and, certainly, we need to give serious thought as to whether the current model is fit for purpose.

Last week, Plaid Cymru was pleased to achieve cross-party support for a suggestion that the current model needs reviewing.

I have urged the Minister to leave no stone unturned in search of improvement, and listen to the front-line staff. They must not be silenced. It is vital that their voice is heard loud and clear in the efforts to bring about long-lasting change.