Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has raised concerns in the Senedd that patients are being encouraged to stay away from a surgery in his constituency because it cannot cope with demand.
Darren was shocked to learn of social media posts being put out by West End Medical Centre in Colwyn Bay advising patients that they will only deal with urgent requests and advising them to seek help elsewhere. The surgery is one of a small number in North Wales which is managed directly by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Darren raised his concerns in the Senedd this week and called for a Statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services on the role of the Welsh Government in overseeing managed practices in Wales
He said:
“There is a managed practice in Colwyn Bay in my constituency - the West End Medical Centre. I know that it's under pressure from a staffing point of view, but I'm very concerned that, in the last two weeks, on four days in those two weeks, the practice has been putting notices on social media encouraging patients to stay away because of exceptional demands on their services, saying that they'll only deal with urgent requests, and encouraging people to go instead to pharmacies, NHS Direct, or, more concerningly, local hospitals.
“Now, clearly, that's not sustainable and there needs to be work to improve access to appointments for patients that need them.
“I know that managed practices are happening elsewhere in Wales as well, and I just wonder to what extent the Welsh Government is aware of the situation in each one of them, to make sure that there's some consistency.”
The Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths MS told Darren that the issues he raised are down to the health board to manage
She added:
“Managed practices are, as you say, part of, I think, general practice now in our primary healthcare system. There is guidance available from Welsh Government to health boards.”
Speaking afterwards Darren said:
“Patients deserve so much better than the service they are currently receiving at the West End Medical Centre. Patients should not be put off seeing a health professional when they have a problem. The consequences of this happening so frequently don’t bear thinking about.”
Watch Darren’s contribution in the Welsh Parliament below:
