Welsh Conservatives Debate: Hospital Closures

Janet Finch-Saunders

Less than 12 months ago, voters across Wales went to the polls to vote—and we all know now of the fantastic outcome of that result. In north Wales, for certain, the issue dominating the months over that campaign was the crisis in our health service, and I’m sure I’m not alone in knowing that this will dominate the minds of all affected in our constituencies over the next few weeks: cuts in hospital bed numbers and beds across north Wales removed by stealth; serious downgrades to many of our local district hospitals; shockingly poor ambulance response times; a loss of nearly a half of all available beds in Llandudno district hospital, including the complete withdrawal of our elderly mentally ill unit; loss of our coronary care unit; wards closed through a lack of nursing staff; loss of the breast care surgery in Llandudno hospital; endoscopy services removed, despite a £170,000 refurbishment scheme—only to be completely left in abandonment.

If we look back to the start of the fourth Assembly term, on 7 December 2011, in response to a question, the health Minister at that time said there would be no further downgrades to our district general hospitals. The First Minister himself stated in November 2011:

‘No-one is suggesting the downgrading of any district general hospital.’

Well, Deputy Presiding Officer, I’m afraid those promises were broken in the most appalling way. With every downgrade or closure came the loss of some of our most devoted medical staff, who have now been left devastated as a result of such cuts, and a loss of their vocation and livelihood. Our remaining workforce within our local health boards are demoralised, as they have quite innocently been caught up in the political wrangle that has been caused by many pointing out Labour’s abject failure to protect our health service and its staff.

In a recent poll conducted over the last couple of days, it is obvious that the key issue on everyone’s minds now is just how well this Labour Government has overseen or led on our health service, not just over 12 months, but over five years: one in seven on a waiting list, massive delays for treatment, a chronic shortage of GPs, our local health board put into special measures, and, yes, reluctance on the part of the Labour Government—[Interruption.] No, sorry. Despite many calls from the Conservative group to intervene more quickly, as shocking factual reports were coming forward on an almost weekly basis—. Despite the ministerial intervention and special measures placed, we are simply not seeing any evidence whatsoever that there have been any fundamental improvements to the quality of treatment or accountability ongoing.

It is simply not good enough that those living in Aberconwy are still waiting inordinate amounts of time for access to a GP, still waiting much longer than any patients over the border for access to orthopaedic surgery, still having to move to England if they need a particular cancer drug for one of the rarer forms of cancer, and it is simply unacceptable that our local health board is facing claims of £90 million for serious negligence.

In 64 days, the people of Wales will go back to the polls once again to elect a new Government in Wales. The First Minister and this Welsh Labour Government will be judged on their record of failure and their inability to protect our health service, imposing cuts that have caused serious pressures on our emergency services and A&E departments, allowing health boards to carry on regardless despite system failures and cultural disharmony within a health board. He and this Labour Government will be remembered for the dismal failure to protect our most vulnerable, the sick and the elderly. Welsh Conservatives in Government will bring about fundamental and realistic change. No more gimmicks, no more spin and no more broken promises. We will protect, champion and fight for a health service in Wales that is not only fit for the twenty-first century, but one that is deserved by all those relying upon it and all those working within it.