Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for Ynys Môn Rhun ap Iorwerth has expressed his disappointment that Welsh Government chose not to agree to Plaid Cymru’s request for an impact assessment into Betsi Cadwaladr’s University Health Board’s plans to centralise vascular services in North Wales at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

The party’s elected members Rhun ap Iorwerth AM, Sian Gwenllian AM, Hywel Williams MP and Liz Saville Roberts MP have been at the forefront of a campaign opposing the downgrading of vascular services at Ysbyty Gwynedd.

This week Plaid Cymru have called on the Welsh Labour Government to undertake an urgent and comprehensive impact assessment of the effects of moving vascular services eastwards on patients living in the most rural parts of the counties, with Mr ap Iorwerth putting that request directly to Health Minister Vaughan Gething in the Assembly Chamber today.

The Labour AM opted not to agree to Plaid Cymru’s request, and Mr ap Iorwerth has expressed his considerable disappointment whilst again outlining the need for a full and thorough impact assessment.

“It is very disappointing that Welsh Government chose not to agree to Plaid Cymru’s request for a full assessment into the impact Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s plans to centralise vascular services will have on patients in the north-west of Wales.

“I will now be writing to the Health Minister to pursue this matter further and to make the case for these plans to be revisited, due to the serious concerns that have been raised in light of the health board’s proposals. A full and thorough impact assessment is the least that patients deserve.

“A month ago BCUHB went back on their word and broke a pledge to protect some services at Ysbyty Gwynedd. Certainty was given that some vascular surgery services would be offered at Bangor and – most importantly – they would be able to accept emergency vascular admissions at Ysbyty Gwynedd going forward – that appears not to be the case now.

“The fear, obviously, is that this will have a detrimental effect on patients in the north-west, some of whom under the plans now ahead of us will be facing a 90-minute journey to receive emergency access to vascular surgery at Glan Clwyd, which is already being offered at an exceptional standard in Ysbyty Gwynedd.