Outrage as yet more paediatric services are removed from Wales.
Welsh Liberal Democrats in RCT are angry at the removal of yet more health services from the South Wales area. This time it is the Paediatric Intensive Care Retrieval Service which transports critically ill children requiring specialist care.
The current service is based in Cardiff, but the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee – which includes the Chief Executives of every Health Board in Wales – have decided that in future the service should be provided from Bristol.
Cllr Mike Powell, Welsh Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesperson for Pontypridd, says it is an outrage.
"There are already huge changes taking place in maternity and paediatric services across Wales, including the removal of consultant led services at the Royal Glamorgan and elsewhere. People are already having to travel further to access critical care services whilst our ambulance services are failing to reach expected response times.
"Now the very people who are charged with ensuring our health service delivers are taking more services away and this time taking them outside of Wales, even further away from the children whose lives may depend upon them.
"The additional journey time from Bristol to Pontypridd is bad enough, but what of those living further west who have to depend on this service? Our health services are being taken apart a piece at a time and the Welsh labour Government are sitting back and letting it happen."
The decision was taken by the committee at their meeting on 7 July but there appears to have been no public announcement of the decision and no mention of it having been discussed by Cwm Taf Health Board at their subsequent meeting.
RCT Welsh Liberal Democrat Campaign Manager Karen Roberts said people have a right to know what is happening.
"These decisions should be made public by the committee and certainly by the Health Boards. One can only assume that they are keeping it under the radar in order to avoid further furious reaction from already angry campaign groups who are seeing services constantly eroded.
"The report which went to the committee on 7 July would suggest that whilst there is talk of improved clinical efficacy this is largely about saving money."
