As someone who, in my day job, works as a nurse for Hywel
Dda Health Board, I’m unable to comment too much on the major demonstration in
support of Ysbyty Bronglais outside the Assembly building in Cardiff this
week.
But it shouldn’t pass without comment that 860 people (official
police figure) were at the event and that this was the second biggest demonstration
at the Senedd since the Assembly was formed.
Not that these people all came
from Aberystwyth. The mayors of Llanidloes, Tywyn, Machynlleth and Dolgellau were all there
with large contingents from their towns, emphasising the importance of Bronglais
to a wide catchment area in Mid-Wales, much of which falls outside the boundary of Hywel Dda. More pictures of the demonstration can be
seen here.
Blog posts by Betsan Powys and Gareth Hughes show
that the demonstration has succeeded in bringing Bronglais, and its strategic position in the health geography of Wales, to the attention of serious
journalists more used to operating within the Cardiff Bay bubble.
Hywel Dda Health Board’s position is that there are no plans
to downgrade Ysbyty Bronglais and that whilst their Clinical Services Strategy may lead to some adjustments to services,
they will maintain Bronglais as one of four major hospitals within the Health
Board’s area. They cite the £38 million extension currently being built to the
hospital – the Board’s biggest capital investment - as testament to that. Carwyn
Jones, Welsh Government First Minister, this week backed that stance.
However a local group of mainly retired clinicians, known as
the Aber group, disagree and the attendance at the demonstration, coupled with
the 547 who attended a public meeting in Penparcau last month, shows they have
succeeded massively in convincing local people that the Clinical Services Strategy presents a genuine threat to the hospital’s viability.
Time will tell. But this week’s demonstration shows that any
changes in the services provided by Bronglais will be subject to the most rigorous of public scrutiny.
Update:
Blog post on another demonstration at the Assembly, this week in support of Llanelli Hospital.
Update:
Blog post on another demonstration at the Assembly, this week in support of Llanelli Hospital.