Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board discuss potential downgrade of maternity services
The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board are meeting today discuss potential changes to maternity and women's services, in a consultation they plan to put into action on the 24th of August.
Medical director Matt Makin has told today's board meeting there are four options to consult on as they try to address a shortfall of doctors in their maternity services. The first is to keep going as things are - employing locums to fill the gap. The other three options are that one of the region's main hospitals - Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd, Wrexham Maelor, or Ysbyty Glan Clwyd at Bodelwyddan - would have midwife-led maternity services with consultants available at other sites.
The Health Board was placed in special measures in June, following what Health Minister Mark Drakeford described as 'long-standing concerns about governance, leadership and other issues'.
A number of issues were identified when the Board was placed under special measures, which were:
Governance, leadership and oversight – the health board must implement governance and assurance actions which have been highlighted in a series of reports, including by the Wales Audit Office and HIW, and in a review carried out by Ann Lloyd.
Mental health services – the board must implement the mental health plan for North Wales, including actions arising from previous reviews, governance concerns and significantly the recent report into the events at Tawel Fan.
Maternity services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd – the health board must resolve the outstanding question about the future of consultant-led maternity services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, acknowledging the ongoing quality, safety and service sustainability issues and bring forward plans for the Sub-Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Centre.
GP and primary care services, including out-of-hours services – the health board must respond to the out-of-hours review and related concerns, which it commissioned.
Reconnecting with the public and regaining the public’s confidence – the board must undertake and oversee a listening exercise to establish a different approach to public engagement. It needs to do that rapidly and it needs to listen to what it is told by its local population rather than just informing them of the board’s point of view.
Health chiefs underlined that staffing of the maternity units managed by Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board presented the biggest issue, saying they were having 'extreme difficulties' recruiting doctors at Glan Clwyd, Ysbyty Gwynedd and Wrexham Maelor hospitals.
In July, the health board abandoned a legal battle into their decision to downgrade maternity services, agreeing instead to undertake a consultation on maternity services at the Ysbyty Glan Clwyd instead.
Health chiefs were planning on withdrawing consultant-led care at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Denbighshire, making it a midwife-led unit and sending mothers needing more complicated care to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, but their proposals faced opposition
While former chief executive of the Board Trevor Purt remains suspended, interim Chief Executive Simon Dean will chair the meeting of the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board in Llandudno today to finalise the proposed consultation.
Consultant-led services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd is not yet saved, and could still be axed after the public consultation.