Clwyd West MS and Shadow Minister for North Wales, Darren Millar, has called on the Welsh Government to ensure that people are treated as close to home as possible, highlighting the case of a constituent who was send to Durham as there were no mental health beds available in the region.

Darren raised the matter in a meeting of the Welsh Parliament when calling for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Health on “the significant cost of placing people with mental health problems outside of Wales”.

He said:

“We know that the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, just in the first three months of this year, has spent over £3.5 million sending mental health patients out of North Wales for care in other parts of the country. I had a constituent, who contacted me back in February, whose family member had been placed in Durham for a mental health bed because there wasn't the capacity in North Wales.

“Clearly, that's unacceptable. We need to make sure that people are treated as closely to home as possible. I accept that there are specialist mental health services that people might need to access, but this was a general mental health in-patient bed, and that should have been available in North Wales.

“I'm very concerned that there isn't the capacity in our NHS, particularly in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, to be able to care for mental health patients in the region.”

Responding, the Trefnydd, Jane Hutt MS, admitted “there are pressures on services”, but said these “are being addressed”.

Speaking after the meeting, Darren said:

“The Minister’s words are little consolation for the patients and their loved ones impacted by these pressures.

“People with mental health issues need their family close by for support, not a three-hour drive away.

“North Wales should have the facilities and beds available to meet patient’s needs. No sick person should have to travel hundreds of miles away for treatment.”

ENDS