Two weeks ago, I wrote to the Welsh health minister, Edwina Hart, expressing my concern over her plans to make North Wales patients travel to Swansea or Cardiff, rather than Liverpool, for neurosurgery (see this blog, passim).
Today I received a response, which reads as follows:
“Thank you for your letter of 23 July 2007 concerning neurosurgery services in Wales.
“I announced to the National Assembly on 4 July that I want to take a fresh approach to considering the future of the provision of neurosurgery.
“I have concluded that we will look at re-directing elective work generated from Welsh residents to the two centres at Swansea and Cardiff, the objective being to establish whether or not both units have sufficient critical mass to offer a sustainable service here in Wales.
“No patients will be disadvantaged by the proposals. There is no intention to transfer emergency work to South Wales – all patients in North Wales who need emergency neurosurgery will be treated in the nearest hospital that provides the best specialist treatment. Equally no charge (sic) is planned for other acute services or for neurology patients.
“Undertaking a planned treatment within Wales may make the difference between having a Wales-based service or having to give up part of that service altogether – something that several groups expressed concerns about. At the moment, patients from North Wales who need planned neurosurgery sometimes have to travel as far as Birmingham. In looking to the future, I would wish to investigate the possibility of establishing an elective spinal unit, combining neurosurgery and orthopaedic surgery.
“I have asked an expert group to look at the best ways of supporting the provision of an all-Wales planned neurosurgery service and ensuring that patients and families who will need to travel are assisted, including examining a travels (sic) costs scheme. The group is due to report back to me by the end of October 2007.”
I really don’t think that the letter requires much comment from me. Readers are invited to draw their own conclusions as to the extent of Mrs Hart’s acquaintance with (a) reality and (b) geography.
However, if she really does want an “all-Wales planned neurosurgery service”, why doesn’t she simply close down the Swansea unit and transport it, lock, stock, barrel and staff, to Bodelwyddan?
