The campaign to restore GP services in Holyhead to full capacity continues this week as a Public Meeting has been organised to take place in the town, with all affected by a lack of doctors in the area invited to share their concerns.

Ynys Môn AM Rhun ap Iorwerth has written to Betsi Cadwladr Health Board to ask for urgent action to be taken to restore GP services in Holyhead, as constituents raised concerns after the loss of doctors in recent months led to the Health Board taking over the Longford House and Cambria GP Practices in the town.

This Friday evening (25/10/2019) at Millbank Community Centre, a Public Meeting has been called for 6pm by the Plaid Cymru AM to give constituents a chance to express their concerns regarding the situation. Mr ap Iorwerth will chair the meeting, whilst Plaid Cymru’s Parliamentary Candidate for Ynys Môn Aled ap Dafydd and the party’s Councillor for Ynys Cybi, Trefor Lloyd Hughes will also be in attendance

Rhun ap Iorwerth said:

“It is a matter of grave concern that two surgeries – Longford House and Cambria – in Holyhead have lost so many doctors that they have now been forced to come under the management of the Health Board, and that the surgeries are currently manned by hard-working nurses and reception staff only – with no doctors there at all on some days. I have written to the Health Board asking what plans are in place to restore the service.”

“Workforce shortages are among the biggest problems facing our NHS. We’re proud that Plaid Cymru was successful in our campaign for a centre to train doctors at Bangor University, which will lead to training medics in areas like ours where we experience some of the greatest shortages.

“Of course, it’ll be a number of years before we see the first qualified doctors coming through, so we need action now to get primary care back on track in the Holyhead area.”

Aled ap Dafydd, Plaid Cymru’s Parliamentary Candidate for Ynys Môn, also expressed his concerns regarding the present situation in the town, adding:

“This is a matter of real worry for Holyhead residents, and under Welsh Labour’s leadership in Wales we’ve seen time and time again a failure to address recruitment and management challenges that face our NHS.

“It is unacceptable that communities in Ynys Môn are left to bear the brunt of that mismanagement, and as Plaid Cymru MP I will work alongside my counterpart in the Senedd, Rhun ap Iorwerth AM, and a Plaid Cymru Government in 2021, to ensure a robust health service that is fit for purpose.”

Trefor Lloyd Hughes, Plaid Cymru’s Ynys Cybi County Councillor said:

“The Health Board must give us a timetable of when we can expect services to be back at full capacity as soon as possible.”