Message clear on GP shortage – we can’t wait any longer
WHAT we had in Holyhead at our Public Meeting regarding the GP shortage affecting the town was a community speaking very, very clearly with one voice.
A frustrated community, an angry community in so many ways, that primary care, the GP surgery system in this town has been allowed to reach a point where it just cannot meet the needs of the town.
Thank you very, very much to everyone that came along to the meeting.
It was standing room only in there, as those who came along will know, but this was a really important opportunity for the community to feed back through me to the Health Board about why it is just not acceptable that it is taking so long to resolve the GP shortage issue drastically affecting the town.
Now, having spoken with a clear voice, we can take that message to Betsi Cadwaladr and to Welsh Government and say we can’t wait any longer, we can’t afford to wait any longer, the vulnerable people of Holyhead can’t wait any longer.
Let’s get a plan in place now to sort this out.
I have sent a letter to the Health Board last week asking on two fronts, really: short-term, urgent action that ensures we recruit using whatever means available the GPs the town needs, and then to get a longterm vision – again with urgency – about how a modern primary care service in Holyhead and the area will look.
We need that to give people confidence back in the service.
We stood in support with the staff at the surgeries at that public meeting – it is not their fault that they have to deal with these circumstances – but the community spoke, and now we have to see action very quickly from the Health Board to solve this serious problem.