Specialist hospital plans in south Wales receive 5,000 opinions in first weeks
Posted: June 30, 2013
Posted in: Medical Negligence
There has been a tremendous public response after controversial plans were proposed to centralise some specialist hospital services in south Wales – health officials describe the public response as ‘unprecendented’. The suggestion calls for a cut in consultant-led hospitals across south Wales, with NHS bosses believing that only a handful of hospitals should provide consultant-led services.
Consultant-led services include the likes of accident and emergency units, premature baby care facilities etc. Services which many across south Wales believe to be widely required. However, NHS bosses believe that cuts in consultant-led services must be made to keep within UK standards.
A two-month consultation period regarding the plans has been bombarded by over 5,000 individual responses, in only the first four weeks.
Five of the area’s health boards have been drawing up the plan surrounding the alterations, these include: Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and the valleys. This began at the beginning of last year. They believe these changes to be absolutely paramount in meeting UK medical standards while also dealing with doctor shortages and increasing demand.
The services, which the plans involve, are:
- Consultant-led maternity care
- In-patient specialist children’s care
- Specialist baby care
- Accident and Emergency facilities
At present, eight hospitals in the area provide at least one of these listed services, which senior health officials believe to be unnecessary and unsustainable. Consultation currently continues surrounding which hospitals should now adopt these consultant-led services, with many different combinations looking probable.
The public consultation closes on Friday 19 July. A final decision should be made by the health boards later in the autumn.
« One year of missing ambulance targets
“Historic Day” for organ donation in Wales »
