Horseshoe Pass still closed due to snow

The BBC live traffic website, last updated at 8.30am this morning (Sunday) shows that the A542 Horseshoe Pass remains closed in both directions, between Llangollen and Llandegla, because of snow.

County council speaks out over health changes

Denbighshire County Council has issued a response to major changes in healthcare in the region, announced by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board last Friday.

These include the closure of Llangollen Cottage Hospital.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Cabinet Lead Member for Social Care and Well-being said: "We are disappointed that the Health Board has decided against a joint hub for Ruthin/Denbigh and there is further disappointment at the closure of the Minor  Injuries Unit  and X-ray facility  in Ruthin, despite strong local opposition.

"Another key concern for us is the risk posed by plans to close in-patient care beds at Prestatyn and Llangollen Hospitals before new services are in place.

"We believe there is a lack of clearly costed undertakings to improve transport to underpin the changes and to provide services to support carers.  Although the transport issues were 'noted' by the Board, they did not seem to have come up with any solution, this is particularly important for rural areas.

"The fact there would be no neo-natal intensive care in North Wales is another issue of concern.

"However, we are pleased that minor injuries unit services will be commissioned from GP's in Corwen and Llangollen and that the Health Board is committed to plan implementation jointly. They need to commit to this fully or the changes announced will not work."

Denbighshire County Council says it remains committed to working closely with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board on ensuring that the residents of Denbighshire receive the best possible health care available.

llanblogger achieves page view record

Yesterday (Friday) llanblogger attracted a record number of page views - over 500!

That's a fantastic milestone we have passed.

The high degree of interest in our site might have had something to do with our live coverage of problems caused by the snow and the simultaneous updates we brought you on the decision to axe Llan Cottage Hospital.

Thanks to everyone who checked out our news coverage ... and keep logging on as we've got lots more good stuff to come.

Phil Robinson

Editor

Health decision sparks angry letter from KLS chair

* Angry letter ... KLS chair Mike Edwards. 

In the wake of yesterday (Friday's) decision by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), Mike Edwards, chair of Keep Llangollen Special, has penned an angry letter to Wales's Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar, which says:

"Having seen Denbighshire CC as LPA blatantly ignore public opinion and Planning Policy Wales and now BCUHB ignore public consultation responses it occurs to me what an utter sham public consultation exercises are!

 

"Why does government national or local and other public bodies have the honesty to say 'we've decided to do the following......' and not go through these expensive exercises which are not going to alter anything?

 

"I'm afraid to say if your party were in power in the Senedd you would probably go through the same insulting processes of appearing to take people's views into consideration.

 

"Recent decisions by the local panning authority will ruin Llangollen's vibrant town centre and now the Health Board are closing our Community Hospital forcing patients and their family support networks to travel to Chirk or Wrexham!

 

"You can surely appreciate the despair the people of Llangollen feel."  

Cheers to Llan's sober motorists!

Llangollen motorists were praised for their abstemiousness at this week's Town Council meeting.

 

Across the country more than 500 drivers were caught over the drink drive limit during the All Wales Christmas Anti Drink and Drug Driving Campaign.

Throughout the campaign 35,493 drivers were breath tested between December 1 and January 1.

 

North Wales Police carried out 18,780 breath tests - double the amount carried out during the 2011 Christmas campaign with 107 being positive.

 

However, none of over-the-limit drivers were from Llangollen, town clerk Gareth Thomas told members of the Town Council at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, adding: "Obviously, the police campaign worked."

Cllr Bob Lube, (pictured right) who was chairing the meeting in the absence of the mayor, Cllr Jon Haddy, said: "The people of Llangollen have to be commended for their abstemiousness."     

The two highest readings recorded by North Wales Police were 147 and 142, where two individuals were over four times the legal drink drive limit. The legal limit is 35. Both people were subsequently charged and placed before the courts.

Chief Inspector Darren Wareing, who is in charge of the North Wales Police Roads Policing Unit said: “Although warnings were given throughout the campaign that we would be out and about, 107 drivers chose to ignore our warnings and risked their own lives and the lives of others by breaking the law. This is very disappointing.

“However the good news is that nobody was killed or seriously injured on the roads of North Wales by a drink driver throughout the campaign.
 

“The feedback we have received from members of the public via email and via our social networking sites has been extremely positive. We have had many people commenting on the fact that they really did think about getting behind the wheel the morning after drinking alcohol and this is very encouraging."

* If you have information relating to someone you think is driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs, please contact North Wales Police on 101 or via Crimestoppers Wales anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always dial 999.

Full details of health changes approved today

The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has now given details of exactly what was approved at its meeting in St Asaph earlier today (Friday).

They are:

Health Care in North Wales is Changing

Friday, 18 January 2013

At today’s extraordinary Board meeting, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board gave their approval to a series changes to the way health services are delivered in North Wales.

The changes that have been agreed are the culmination of two year’s work that builds on previous reviews of health services in North Wales. They are designed to improve the quality of care and to ensure that services continue to be safe and sustainable in the long term.

 

The changes aim to provide the services that patients use most regularly as close to their homes as possible, so we don’t admit people to hospital when we could provide more appropriate care locally.

They aim to make community hospital services more dependable and consistent by focusing resources in key locations. This means that minor injuries services and x-ray can be provided at regular times, so patients know they can depend on them.

For more specialist services, the changes will improve the quality of care by supporting increased specialisation and ensuring that those who need complex care are treated by clinicians with high levels of experience and expertise.

As a result of the consultation, a number of aspects of the original proposals were amended and additional provisions were included in the recommendations to address concerns that had been raised, particularly in relation to community health services.

The proposals that have been agreed today are:

1. To improve community services by developing enhanced care at home services and to focus community hospital resources so that more consistent, reliable services can be provided.

Ten hospital hubs will be established, offering seven day a week minor injuries services with standardised opening times and an x-ray service available every working day, Monday to Friday. These will be at:

· Ysbyty Penrhos Stanley (Holyhead),

· Ysbyty Gwynedd,

· Ysbyty Alltwen (Tremadog),

· Dolgellau Community Hospital,

· Llandudno Hospital,

· Ysbyty Glan Clwyd,

· Denbigh Infirmary,

· Holywell Community Hospital,

· Mold Community Hospital and

· Wrexham Maelor Hospital

 

Following the consultation it was accepted that there was a strong case for designating Mold Community Hospital as one of the ‘hub’ hospitals for North East Wales, retaining Minor Injuries and X-ray services at the site.

The enhanced care at home service will be introduced across North Wales on a phased basis and will be operating across North Wales by the end of next year.

Proposals to develop primary care resource centres in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Flint and Llangollen were approved as was the development of a new community hospital on the Royal Alexandra Hospital site.

Other changes to the proposals that were made as a result of the consultation are:

· Flint Hospital will be retained, on an interim basis, to provide outpatient services including phlebotomy and minor surgery until the proposed primary care resource centre has been developed in the town;

· A number of X-ray sessions will continue to operate at Eryri and Bryn Beryl Hospitals and additional services for South Gwynedd residents will be commissioned in Machynlleth

· In common with a number of other practices in North Wales, the GP practice in Llangollen will be approached to provide a Minor Injuries Service for local residents.

In addition agreement has been reached with Powys and Hywel Dda Health Boards and the appropriate Community Health Councils to establish a formal planning Board to oversee the development and coordination of services across North Ceredigion, North Powys and South Gwynedd. This will ensure that services can be provided in a flexible manner, across organisational boundaries, to best meet the needs of people living in these areas.

As a result of these changes, the Board confirmed that inpatient beds in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Llangollen, Flint and Prestatyn Community Hospitals would close and inpatient care in these localities would instead be provided at Ysbyty Alltwen and community hospitals in Chirk, Holywell and Rhyl.

X-ray services will cease in Tywyn and Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Minor Injuries services at Flint, Ruthin, Llangollen, Chirk, Colwyn Bay, Blaenau Ffestiniog would also be closed, with services instead provided at the nearest hub hospital. The services at Bryn Beryl and Tywyn will be retained, with adjusted hours to reflect seasonal demand.

2 To confirm the expansion of community-based mental health care for older people in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd and the consequent permanent closure of the inpatient beds at Hafan Ward (Bryn Beryl Hospital) and Uned Meirion (Dolgellau Hospital).

There will also be a gradual reduction in beds from 25 to 18 at Cefni Hospital as community services are strengthened, with inpatient services eventually relocating to Ysbyty Gwynedd. Inpatient beds currently provided in Glan Traeth in Rhyl will be replaced as part of the new Community Hospital development in Rhyl.

 

3. To work with the Neonatal Networks to commission complex or longer term neonatal intensive care services from Arrowe Park Hospital for approximately 36 babies per year who need this level of care. Neonatal care for over 700 babies will continue to be provided in our local units.

4. To work towards consolidating complex inpatient arterial surgery and emergency vascular surgery into a single specialist centre in North Wales; the location of this has yet to be finalised.

As an interim step, services will be moved to be provided at two sites (Ysbyty Gwynedd and Wrexham Maelor Hospital) during 2013, with a single centre being set up by late 2014/early 2015 to ensure that the Health Board conforms with national guidance on current minimum surgical activity volumes and to enable preparations for the start of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screening, expected in May 2013.

 

Full details of the recommendations that have been approved by the Board can be found on the health board’s website at http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/861/page/63769

Axe falls on Llan Cottage Hospital

* The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has decided to close Llangollen Cottage Hospital.

 

llanblogger has just received confirmation from an observer at the meeting that the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board his morning approved the closure of Llangollen Cottage Hospital.

The go-ahead to axe the hospital came as part of a package of measures to streamline health services across north Wales.

Our observer said: "Just had confrirmation that neonatal is going to Arrowe Park and all the proposals are going through as per the plans except Mold becomes a hub instead of Deeside.

 

"With Llangollen they will now submit a proposal for a new health centre to the Welsh Government."

 

In an immediate reaction, Llyr Gruffydd, Party of Wales AM for North Wales, said: “The decision to move neonatal intensive care services across the border now means there is no Level 3 Special Care Baby Unit north of Carmarthen.

"I fear this decision is putting lives at risk and it is inexplicable that it should be made in the face of clinical advice and opposition from respected professional bodies such as the RCN and BMA.
 

“The very real experiences of parents with babies that have gone through intensive care at our existing excellent SCBUs has also been ignored. I do not believe we were given the full facts regarding Arrowe Park and therefore the entire consultation process and final decision was skewed.

 

“The same criticism applies to the closure, downgrading and centralisation of community hospitals such as Llangollen, Ruthin and Flint.

 

GPs and patients alike are rightly sceptical of the promised replacements – where is the money coming from to build new health centres and ensure enhanced home care?

 

“My party, Plaid Cymru, wants to see an improved health service in the North but this decision will lead to a poorer health service for many communities and takes no regard of the very real transport problems many households have.

 

“This decision has been made without key questions being answered about finance and the impact on NHS staff.

 

"That’s why I call on the Community Health Council to now stand up for the people of North Wales – they must make a formal objection so that the Health Minister can intervene.

 

"If Lesley Griffiths wants to impose this model on North Wales, she shouldn’t be allowed to hide behind health boards who are not ultimately answerable to the people.”

Shadow Minister for Health, Darren Millar AM, said: “This is NHS bosses playing judge, jury and executioner on local healthcare across North Wales.

“Our region has been sentenced to unwanted NHS reform that will mean thousands travelling further for essential care.

“The suits at the top have turned their backs on the views of local people and respected professionals. This is an injustice that makes no sense and won’t be forgotten.

“It is simply not fair to force any patient – particularly families with newborns – to travel many miles for treatment.

“Make no mistake, opposition to these dangerous decisions will continue.

“Labour’s record-breaking NHS budget cuts have driven this reform agenda. The Minister must be honest about this and ensur that she is accountable for today’s injustie.”

North Wales Conservative AM Mark Isherwood said: “This is a sad day for North Wales,.

“There was strong objection to these proposals from the start, but the Health Board refused to attend any open public meetings. They have now blatantly ignored the views of those affected by these changes, dismissing the strong public opposition shown in the wider consultation. We will continue to fight these plans and The Minister must be accountable.

“Whilst I am pleased that Mold Hospital, which was also earmarked for closure, received an eleventh hour reprieve, I am extremely disappointed that Ffestiniog Memorial Hospital, Llangollen, Flint, and Prestatyn are all to close.

“Labour Welsh Government policy and its record breaking cuts of half a billion pounds over three years have driven theses closures and downgrading of services.

 

"The health managers insist the changes will lead to better care for patients, butreducing community hospital beds and moving services further away from often vulnerable patients will damage, rather than enhance, community based health services."