Plaid Cymru has been accused of ‘passing the buck’ on issues surrounding the downgrading of services at Withybush Hospital.
Ceredigion Penfro Senedd Member for the Welsh Conservatives, Paul Davies recently called upon the new Welsh Government for ‘some intervention’ to prevent the downgrading of Withybush and Bronglais hospital services.
Back in the Senedd this week, Mr Davies further pushed the Plaid party on the matter, stating on June 9: “I'd be grateful if we could have a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care regarding the delivery of services in mid and west Wales.
“Now, last week, my co-Ceredigion Penfro Member Anna Nicholl raised the centralisation of services from Withybush and Bronglais hospitals and asked for a statement on equal access to health services in rural Wales.
“Now, in response, you said that the local health board is responsible for planning and providing local services, and, whilst that's true, it's also true that the Welsh Government is responsible for the oversight of the NHS and sets the direction of travel, and, if it wanted to, it could intervene to safeguard services.
“During the election campaign, Plaid Cymru highlighted an online petition calling for the Welsh Government to intervene and save services, and it also supported the calls for a stroke unit at Bronglais Hospital. And yet, in a response to a written question to me on this matter, the Cabinet Minister has passed the buck back to the local health board.
“Therefore, given the lack of clarity on this specific issue, I'd be grateful if we could have a clear statement from the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care so that the people of Ceredigion Penfro can understand whether the Welsh Government will intervene to safeguard essential services at Withybush and Bronglais hospitals,” he added.
