"Save our services" campaign gains momentum

Llangollen’s community campaign to save its local health services is gaining momentum with a call by Assembly Member Llyr Gruffydd for a guarantee about continuing care in the town

Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM, said: “Evidence is emerging that the plan by Betsi Cadwaladr to close Llangollen’s hospital and place patients in private nursing homes doesn’t really hold water. Even as an interim move this won’t work because the capacity isn’t there locally.

“The other part of the plan involves building a new health centre in the town without beds. But it is again becoming apparent that this will take years to achieve and, in the meantime, people needing localised care would be left high and dry.

“The capital needed to build a new health centre would come from the Welsh Government, which is facing drastic cuts in the block grant from central government.

 

"Does Betsi Cadwaladr have an assurance that the money it needs to build a new health centre is available? We need a guarantee that Llangollen will not be left in limbo with no hospital and no health centre.”

He added that the consultation by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was revealing many unanswered questions on this and other proposed cuts and downgrading of local hospitals such as Ruthin and Chirk.

 

Mr Gruffydd said: “I fully support the Keep Llangollen Health Services campaign to improve local healthcare in the Vale of Llangollen. The loss of services in rural areas is already very keenly felt and this is yet another example of an area of south Denbighshire potentially losing a key service.”