Campaign welcomes recommendation not to downgrade A&E at Royal Glamorgan
The Campaign to Save Royal Glamorgan Hospital A&E (SRGAE) welcomes the recommendation put before the Cwm Taf University Health Board not to downgrade the unit and says it represents a major step towards final victory for our campaign.
Although we will not have a final decision until the full board meets on 29 June, this development comes as welcome news and is a vindication of our energetic campaign. We are urging all Health Board members to support the full retention of the A&E services and further recruitment in order to ensure the long-term viability of our much-needed service.
Len Arthur, Chair of SRGAE, says: “This position paper, which may be amended by the Board’s meeting next week, sets a direction of travel for the Health Board that we have been fighting for from the start. We sincerely hope that it results in the retention of the Royal Glamorgan Hospital A&E department in Llantrisant as a 24-hour permanent consultant led service. The reorganisation plans have caused no end of worry, especially for the vulnerable and sick about how they would be able to access emergency treatment if our department were to be downgraded and made part-time, or even reduced to a minor injuries unit.”
Diane Blackmore, Vice-Chair of SRGAE, says: “The founding principle of our NHS was delivery of treatment free at the point of need. If you live at the top of the Rhondda and the Rhigos mountain road is closed due to bad weather, and you have to get a sick child to an A&E department urgently, care is not being delivered at the point of need if you have to drive an extra half an hour to get to Merthyr Tydfil from Llantrisant because the Royal Glamorgan is closed to you. People might die. This is why it’s so important that our A&E department remains as a service to the community.”
The Board is set to make a firm decision on the future status of the Royal Glamorgan Hospital Accident & Emergency department at its meeting on 29 June, although members may choose to amend proposals and defer a definite decision to a later date.
The campaign has held discussions with the Health Board with regard to the practicalities of handing over the petition in favour of retaining the department in a safe and responsible way, and with due regard to social distancing. Over 24,000 names were collected.
