Minister cannot spin away broken promises on neurosurgery

12.00.00am GMT Wed 4th Nov 2009

Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister and Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has attacked the Minister for Health for breaking her promise on neurosurgery.

Asking a question to the Minister for Health, Edwina Hart in the Assembly today on the future of neurosurgery in South Wales, Mr Black stated that the Minister had broken the promises made by her party, and her coalition partners Plaid Cymru, that emergency neurosurgery would remain at Morriston Hospital.

The Minister responded by stating that the majority of clinicians backed her move to centralise all of emergency neurosurgery in University Hospital Wales, Cardiff.

Mr Black said:

"The Minister has avoided the question once again and attempted to hide behind advice that she campaigned so vigorously against before the last Assembly election.."

"If she had listened to the many campaigners in Swansea and West Wales and sited the sole South Wales neurosurgery unit in Morriston from the start then she would not have had to make this u-turn.

"I am very concerned that there is a significant risk to those living Swansea and West Wales in terms of the time taken to travel for emergency surgery. The government must now look at reducing those travel times and give guarantees on the future of the remaining Morriston neurosurgery service.."