'I continue to believe it is important that the Gresford site stays'

MP for Wrexham

Whilst health matters across Wrexham and Wales are devolved to the Welsh Government, it does not mean that focusing on improvements and ensuring everyone has access to good healthcare services does not fall outside my remit as the Member of Parliament for Wrexham.

Indeed, it would be impossible for healthcare matters to escape my view given that, over the last year, a large proportion of the casework that my team and I have dealt with has related to healthcare matters. Understandably, some of this casework has been about Covid-19 related issues, but much has also been about concerns over primary care availability, access to emergency services, waiting times for routine surgery and more. As such, the emails coming into my office tell a story of the healthcare worries many in Wrexham experience. Furthermore, as a former nurse and social worker I also take a particular interest in health matters. Having trained as a nurse at the Wrexham Maelor and having worked across North East Wales as a social worker, I know too well some of the health issues families and communities in our town and region face.

Over recent weeks, I have had meetings with healthcare related individuals and groups, and I have been working on the healthcare issues that I know are important to constituents. For example, I recently had a meeting with the Wrexham Prostate Cancer Support, during which we discussed their campaign for the introduction of a PSA tracker system in North Wales, which they are working on alongside the Llangollen and Glan Clwyd Prostate Cancer Support Groups. The implementation and funding system for this has been agreed by the Welsh Government but there has been no action yet. As such, I will be supporting them in their endeavour going forward.

In addition, I also met with Haydn Jones, a volunteer at the Maggie’s Cancer Centre in Clatterbridge, who is hoping to help bring a Maggie’s Centre to North Wales. Maggie’s Cancer Centres provide excellent support for individuals with cancer and their families and, like Haydn, I want to make sure that cancer patients across North Wales have access to a Maggie’s centre closer to home. As such, I have been working with the team at Maggie’s, the local health board and funding groups to help facilitate such a development.

Locally, I also know that there are several specific concerns about access to GP services. Firstly, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) recently announced that they would be temporarily closing the Borras Park Surgery whilst redevelopment works took place at Borras Park School. This temporary closure came as a surprise to many and follows many months of issues at Borras Park Surgery, including its closure during the pandemic following the opening of a Covid-19 Assessment Centre on the site. This temporary closure has worried and frustrated many constituents and I have been in contact with the health board to raise my concerns about this and the wider concerns about the management of the practice.

In addition, many constituents are also worried about the newly announced consultation into the closure of the Alyn Family Doctors’ site at the Gresford Healthcare Centre. A campaign has now begun to oppose the plans, which I support, and a protest took place outside the centre on Saturday. I know that this has been a long running issue in Gresford and the surrounding area and, whilst I do appreciate the arguments made by Alyn Family Doctors for closing the site, I continue to believe it is important that the Gresford site stays so that residents who cannot travel to Llay or Rossett have access to a local service.

As always if you are resident in Wrexham and need my assistance with any local or national issue, please make contact with me by emailing sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk.