Maternity units care U-turn is confirmed
THREE hospitals in North Wales will keep their consultant-led maternity units, it has been announced.
It means that plans to suspend the care at one of the region’s main hospitals have been scrapped after a public consultation.
Members of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board backed a report recommending that services are left unchanged at a meeting in Llandudno on Tuesday.
A consultation was launched by the board in August into maternity wards at three hospitals – Maelor Hospital, Wrexham, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Denbighshire and Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor – following concerns about obstetrics and gynaecology services.
But a report recommended that women’s and maternity services at the hospital should remain open and that was rubber-stamped at a meeting in Llandudno.
The board said following a recruitment drive, staffing levels have recovered with extra midwives and seven new consultants recruited.
Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “It has been important to give people certainty about the temporary options for women’s and maternity services in North Wales. The approval of the recommendations by the board gives the public, staff, pregnant women and patients certainty for the immediate future. I am pleased that we are seeing real progress in these two areas.
“The decisions taken at the board meeting today have been underpinned by the commitment and hard work of health board staff in the interest and safety of mothers and babies in North Wales.
“They have worked to manage clinical risks and have successfully recruited extra midwives and seven new consultants to stabilise the workforce and ensure the safety of the units – during – and beyond – the consultation. At the same time they have developed the SuRNICC outline business, which will now be submitted for Welsh Government scrutiny and approval.
“The Welsh Government has been clear on its support and commitment to the SuRNICC to meet the needs of very sick and premature babies in North Wales – we have recently announced £1.4m to help develop the plans – and a recruitment process is underway.”
But he added that Betsi Cadwaladr still faces challenges – it remains in special measures for another two years – and further actions and support will be needed over the course of the next two years.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Health, Darren Millar AM, said: “Confirmation of this much-needed U-turn is hugely welcome news and represents a victory for common sense.
“This has been a hugely unsettling time for staff, mums-to-be and their families and I’m glad that we can finally put this matter to bed. It’s now absolutely crucial that Labour ministers see through on their promise to swiftly establish the new Neonatal Intensive Care Centre for North Wales.”
BMA Cymru Wales said that following months of uncertainty, they welcomed the confirmation as a victory for a well thought-through response to the second public consultation.
Deputy Secretary Stephen Jones said: “The first proposal by the health board to temporarily withdraw consultant-led maternity services from one site flowed from a flawed process.
“It led to a BMA- supported Judicial Review that required the health oard to start again, with a proper process that has come to a different outcome.
“BMA Cymru Wales intervened to ensure that the concerns raised by many of its members and local residents were properly considered by the Health Board.”
He added: “BMA Cymru Wales recognises that this outcome is consistent with Simon Dean’s public commitment to build a new relationship between the Health Board, its clinical staff, and the public of North Wales and we see it as an encouraging step forward.”