THE long-running dispute between Hanmer surgery and its health board ‘has to be sorted out once and for all’, according to senior Senedd member.

Llyr Gruffydd MS for Plaid Cymru in North Wales called for the dispute over new facilities to end between the award-winning GP surgery and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

He made his comments after a meeting between BCUHB chairman Dyfed Edwards and Dr Kieron Redman, who oversees the Hanmer Surgery which is considered overcrowded and dilapidated.

He said: "I first visited Dr Redman at the surgery back in 2020 and it's incredibly frustrating for him, his staff and patients to see that – despite endless meetings, several plans and promises by a variety of health board managers, nothing has materialised. 

"The latest offer by the health board was for a new GP surgery with a footprint of 298 square metres.

“This is totally inadequate to enable the practice to offer sufficient space for two doctors, training for students, private consultation rooms and adequate storage and staff facilities.

“We should remember that Dr Redman and his staff have had to put up with inadequate and frankly outdated facilities for more than a decade as this dispute rumbled on.

“He has shown a new willingness to engage with communities that feel they are losing health facilities, something that's felt very acutely in rural areas.

“I'm optimistic that, having seen the situation first hand, he will want to ensure that the good work being done in Hanmer can continue in a fit-for-purpose building.”

Dr Redman added: “We were delighted that Mr Edwards and Mr Gruffydd took the time to visit Hanmer Surgery to see for themselves the primitive conditions from which we provide a service to our patients.

“We are also indebted to Geoff Ryall-Harvey and his colleagues at Llais for arranging this meeting.

“We have been campaigning for new premises for 12 years now; this is far too long. Our patients are no less important than those who are registered at other surgeries which have newer, more spacious and better-equipped premises.

“Yet the constant pressure from Health Board managers to restrict the size of our new project, to something so small that it would be overcrowded as soon as it opened, is very frustrating.

RECOMMENDED READING

 “We have to hope that 2024 will finally be the year in which we reach a successful conclusion to our long campaign and our patients will be able to receive medical care in premises fit for the 2020s rather than the 1960s.”

Mr Edwards, BCUHB chairman, added: “I recently visited the Hanmer Surgery to understand the issues and discuss the plans for development to improve facilities that will benefit both staff and patients.

“I was glad to hear first-hand Dr Redman's concerns and I will feedback to our operational teams supporting the redevelopment plans, to ensure residents get a fit-for-purpose building.

"We will stay in regular contact with the practice, as well as Llyr Gruffydd and LLAIS, and we will continue to work with them as plans progress.”