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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Health Minister's lack of engagement leaves Swansea NHS Trust out on a limb
September 20, 2006 6:19 PM
Peter Black AM with Swansea West candidate Peter May at Singleton Hospital
The Welsh Health Minister has been accused of leaving Swansea NHS Trust out on a limb after he revealed in the answer to an Assembly Question that he has had no discussions with them regarding their potential deficit.
The Health Trust needs to find £12.6 million to balance their books this year. They have already put forward proposals to close Fairwood Hospital and Ward One at Hill House Hospital so as to save money and recently announced the closure of 57 beds in Singleton and Morriston Hospitals, as part of a programme that may see the loss of 170 beds overall.
According to the Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, the fact that Dr. Gibbons has failed to engage personally in discussing and seeking to resolve this crisis in Wales' second City, has left Swansea facing inevitable cuts in health service provision.
"Labour were elected in 1997 proclaiming that the health service was safe in their hands," said Mr. Black. "And yet nine years later, despite the best efforts of a hard-pressed and dedicated staff, we are still faced with huge waiting lists, cuts and hospital closures."
"The Health Minister will not resolve these issues by sitting in his office in Cardiff, nor will the occasional visit to the frontline help. He needs to engage with Trusts and actively help them resolve their funding problems. This may mean providing some investment in community services so as to make long-term savings without hitting patient care. It also means giving Trusts some leeway on deficits so that they can be cleared over a longer period if there is a plan in place to achieve this. However, unless the Health Minister talks to those managing the problem, he will not know."
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