Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has today warned the First Minister that patients of Colwyn Bay’s West End Medical Centre are “at risk of harm” because of the poor service they are receiving at the practice and urged him to take action to address the problems.
Speaking in today’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Darren told Vaughan Gething of the multiple complaints he receives each week from patients at this practice, including running out of essential medication.
As the surgery is directly run by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which is in Special Measures and therefore under direct control of the Labour Welsh Government, Darren called on the First Minister to act.
He said:
“First Minister, healthcare services in Conwy and Denbighshire are not in a good place. We know that the health board in North Wales is in special measures.
“One of the problems that I have in my own constituency is the problem of Colwyn Bay’s West End Medical Centre. It's a managed practice, run directly by the health board, and I receive multiple complaints about the services from that particular surgery each and every week.
“In fact, 100 per cent of the complaints that I have received about GP services since the start of this year have been about this one individual practice in my constituency.
“Patients are complaining about not being able to get appointments, not being able to get through on the telephone, not getting answers to e-mails, not getting call backs that they're promised, not being able to access vaccinations that are available in other surgeries, and not being able to get prescriptions in time, and actually running out of the essential medication that they need.
“It's not good enough. It's putting patients at risk of harm.
“This health board is in special measures and this practice is run directly by the health board. What action are you, and what action is the Welsh Government going to take, in order to resolve these problems, so that my constituents get the services they deserve?”
In his response, the First Minister said he’d talk both with the Cabinet Secretary, and also with the health board, “to ensure there's a direct note for the Member on what is taking place”.
Speaking afterwards, Darren said:
“This is not the first time that I have had to raise poor practice at GP surgeries in my constituency with the Welsh Government. Every time I am promised action and improvements, yet nothing ever seems to change. I really hope for the sake of all the patient at Colwyn Bay’s West End Medical Centre, that this time is different and improvements are made quickly.”
