A North Wales MS has said it was a “mistake” to move complex vascular services from Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
Llyr Gruffydd was responding to an “alarming” report by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) into its botched centralisation, which discovered four historical patient deaths had not been fully declared to the coroner.
The Plaid Cymru Senedd member has said patients in North Wales have been “badly let down”, and has called for a “wholesale rethink” of the reorganisation.
Vascular services were reorganised in 2019 which led to complex procedures being moved from Wrexham Maelor Hospital and Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor to a new hub at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire.
The report was commissioned by the health board after in response to a damning initial report by Royal College of Surgeons (RCS).
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The RCS report raised nine urgent recommendations as well as other issues, which include too many patient transfers being made to the centralised hub, a lack of vascular beds and frequent delays in transfers.
Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “It’s clear from this alarming report that patients in North Wales have been badly let down. The failure to properly declare deaths to the coroner is particularly concerning. The failure to keep accurate and up to date patient records is also a cause for concern.
“The centralisation of complex vascular services by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been an unmitigated disaster and there needs to be a wholesale rethink of this failed strategy.
“It was a mistake for the health board to move these services from Wrexham Maelor Hospital and from Ysbyty Gwynedd, to a hub in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.
“The Welsh Government seriously needs to get a grip of the crisis unfolding in the NHS. Its gross mismanagement of the NHS has had terrible consequences and put patient safety at serious risk.”
In response to today’s publication, BCUHB’s interim deputy CEO and executive medical director, Dr Nick Lyons said: “Firstly, I would like to reiterate my sincere apologies to those patients who did not receive the first class service they deserve, some of whose cases were covered in this report.
“Following the Royal College of Surgeons’ report into our vascular service published in January 2022, which crucially spanned records from as early as 2015 up to July 2021, we were honest and said we needed to do better.
“I am satisfied the majority of the recommendations outlined in this review have already been completed and work continues on those outstanding.
Nick Lyons
“The hard work of our staff has resulted in a service which I believe is now serving the people of North Wales. We know we have more work to do and there has been a tremendous amount of training done on things like record keeping.
“While I would be the first to acknowledge there is still much to do, I believe the vascular service across North Wales is in a far better place than it was prior to the invited RCS review and is providing good outcomes for our public."
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We recognise this report is distressing for the families involved and those who access vascular services within the health board.
“The health board has apologised to those affected by the report or whose families didn’t receive the service they deserve.
"It has also put in place a vascular services improvement plan with update provided regularly to the Welsh Government.
“The cases included in this report, and the report from the Royal College of Surgeons, are from pre and post reorganisation of the service.
“Vascular services were unsustainable prior to the reorganisation and the health board were right to move towards a hub and spoke model in line with professional guidance.
“The health board acknowledge there is still much to do, but they believe the vascular service across North Wales is in a far better place than previously and outcomes are improving.”
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