Wrexham's MP has highlighed some of the worrying incidents Wrexham residents have faced when trying to access healthcare in the region.

Sarah Atherton is being inundated with complaints from constiuents, receiving a new one every day.

The main themes the Wrexham MP is seeing, are of people struggling to access healthcare, delays in appointments and patients being forced to go private, which is costing huge amounts.

Ms Atherton said she appreciates just how hard the staff at the Maelor are working, but feels they are being let down by failing systems.

READ MORE: Wrexham Maelor is worst performing hospital in Wales for four hour waiting time target

Ms Atherton added her constituents have said the problem is accessing the healthcare, not the care itself, which is considered as good.

Some of the examples Ms Atherton has been made aware of in recent weeks include:

  • A father waiting over two years for a hip operation - family has now taken out £13,000 loan to get it done privately. 
  • Constituent ordered to visit A&E at Maelor by GP. Finally saw a doctor after 11hrs.
  • Husband struggled to get a doctor’s appointment at GP surgery after a series of headaches. Eventually got an appointment after three weeks and has now been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Feels if husband had received appointment originally, they would have been three weeks ahead of treating it. 
  • Elderly father in care home, transferred to hospital for an infection and waited in the back of an Ambulance for 12 hours before being admitted.

READ MORE: More staff and facilities needed at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, report finds

Giving her thoughts on the NHS being 'let down', Ms Atherton said: “The UK Government has handed the Welsh Government a record amount of funding, and despite this, access to decent healthcare in Wrexham and North Wales is getting worse.

"The £1bn announced a few weeks ago from the Welsh Government looks relatively insignificant when compared to the extra £2.5 billion per year for the next three years, plus £700m a year by 2024/25 as part of the Health and Social Care Levy from the UK Government.

"Welsh Government are failing my constituents, their patients and our hardworking NHS staff.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We are continuing to invest in our NHS and in social care to help services recover from the pandemic and to improve access to healthcare across Wales. 

READ MORE: Wrexham Maelor Hospital doctors 'some of the unhappiest ever seen', report says

“We will invest nearly £1.3bn extra in the Welsh NHS over this Senedd term and an additional £100m for mental health services. And this year alone we are providing more than £250m more for social services to drive forward wider reforms to the social care sector and place it on a sustainable long-term footing.

“The most recent figures show Wales spends £155 more per person (4% more) on health and social services than England.”