Sarah Atherton MP believes Urgent Primary Care Centre is 'step in right direction'

Sarah Atherton MP visited the UPCC which is based at Wrexham Maelor Hospital on Tuesday, August 16.

Since her election in 2019, Ms Atherton says she has been 'inundated' with complaints from residents over healthcare access.

The worst examples include waiting over 15 hours to be seen at the Maelor A&E and constituents turning to payday loans to fund private operations after spending years on surgery waiting lists.

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In response, the MP launched a healthcare campaign calling on the Welsh Government to fund improved access to healthcare, a Wrexham walk-in-centre and put clinicians at the heart of the decision-making processes.

Ms Atherton met with Ian Donnelly, the Managing Director at the Maelor to review the emergency care provision at the Maelor and to visit the new Urgent Primary Care Unit (UPCC). 

This unit is designed to relieve the pressure on A&E by taking direct referrals from GPs, Pharmacists and 111 service.

Sarah also heard of plans to open Plas Gororau in 2023 - a unit, off-site, which is being repurposed, some services on the Wrexham site that do not need to be on the site will be moved into this excellent new facility.

This will relieve space within the hospital site to enable the emergency department to work more efficiently along with the establishment of a much-needed Minor Injury & Illness Unit as part of the ED.

As a former nurse, Ms Atherton was delighted to hear about the Advanced Care Practitioner Program being established, which will hopefully enable nurses to become autonomous practitioners able to assess, treat and discharge patients.

Sarah Atherton MP said: “It was great to visit the various emergency departments including the UPCC and meet with the staff and talk to the many patients in the waiting room.

PIC: Wrexham MP Sarah Atherton.

"The UPCC aims to reduce A&E waiting times and inappropriate use by patients, who have no other option due to not being able to access a GP.

"Whilst there is no denying that healthcare provision in Wrexham has a long way to go, and the success of these scheme needs to be closely monitored to ensure they are delivering for both patients and staff, I am pleased that BCUHB has listened to my constituents’ concerns.

"These are steps in the right direction, but time is of the essence and I will continue to work closely and constructively with health colleagues to ensure patients in Wrexham receive the healthcare they deserve.”

Ian Donnelly, MD of the Maelor, said: "It was great to meet with Sarah to show her around Wrexham Maelor Hospital last week and discuss the positive short and long-term plans we are developing and implementing across the site, which will hugely benefit our patients' care and experience."

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board says it is currently facing 'unprecedented demands' for its services.

It is urging the public to use health services "wisely" and to only visit Emergency Departments if "absolutely necessary".

Since Friday, August 12, over 2,000 people have attended Emergency Departments. The health board said that the high number of patients together with the difficulty in discharging medically-fit patients from hospital is leading to "significant bed shortages" across the sites.