Questioning the Minister for Health and Social Services in Plenary yesterday, Cllr Janet Finch-Saunders AM put pressure on the Welsh Government to improve communications within the health care sector.

Janet said: “A large majority of my casework is tied up in dealing with patients who end up waiting without answers, sometimes hearing nothing back from the their Health Board following their pre-op assessment.

“The closure of six theatres in North Wales, with no stable action plan to account for this have compromised patient care and waiting times.

“Additionally, too often my constituents have encountered problems with the relationship between social services and Local Health Boards, particularly with LHBs keeping social services in the loop with a case, and especially since the nearest CHC to my constituency is now in Bangor!

“We need to see the Welsh Government taking real steps to streamline and better connect social services and LHBs so that service providers have all the information and service users get the best possible care and do not lose out following the CHCs closures.

“Communication in this area is essential, both between the service providers and service users, and between service providers themselves.

“It is appalling that in some cases patients wait so long to hear back following their pre-op assessments.

“People have a right to know, within good time, what decisions are being made on their health.