Russell George, AM for Montgomeryshire, has this week (Tuesday 9th June) called for an urgent update from the Health Minister, Mark Drakeford AM, on the cancellation of elective operations at Bronglais.
Two months ago, on April 16th, Mr Drakeford wrote to Mr George to say that his Deputy, Vaughan Gething AM, who is responsible for Welsh NHS performance and delivery, would be writing to the Chief Executive of Hywel Dda University Health Board, Bernadine Rees, to request a briefing and to seek an explanation of how the Health Board is seeking to resolve outstanding issues relating to elective operations at the hospital.
After having raised this issue yet again with the Leader of the House, Jane Hutt AM, Mr George said:
"Two months on and Hywel Dda University Health Board has still failed to adequately explain why elective operations are being cancelled and the Welsh Government don’t seem to be any the wiser either.
"My constituents are rightly losing their patience. Some have contacted me to say that they have had their operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons three times on the trot at very short notice."
The Welsh Government’s Programme for Government has made a commitment that cancelled operations must be re-scheduled within 14 days if there was less than 8 days’ notice for non-clinical reasons.
Mr George added:
"The Welsh Government’s policy commitment is clearly not being met and when I called the Hywel Dda operations booking office, staff didn’t seem to be aware of this target at all.
"The cancellation of elective surgery at Bronglais was previously attributed to "winter pressures". It’s now Summer and this excuse will just not wash any longer.
"I am very concerned that decisions about the cancellation of inpatient elective procedures are being taken by administrators rather than clinicians and look forward to receiving this long-awaited briefing from Hywel Dda University Health Board on what it intends to do to remedy this situation at the earliest opportunity."