Maternity care shake-up in north Wales goes to consultation

Health board officials agreed to consult with the public at a meeting on Tuesday

Controversial changes which could see consultant-led maternity care withdrawn from a district hospital in north Wales are to go out to public consultation.

Betsi Cadwaladr health board is looking at plans to downgrade services at one of the area's three district hospitals.

In January, plans were approved to downgrade maternity care at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire.

But managers backed down after an outcry which prompted the rethink at a health board meeting on Tuesday.

The issues stemmed from a shortage of doctors.

Health board medical director Prof Matthew Makin told the meeting: "There is a universal desire for the safety of mothers and babies - that's why we're all here.

"Service change is seen as a threat and is particularly emotive. But we would not be proposing change unless we felt that the risks we are currently managing are becoming unmanageable.

"Any change will be temporary and for as short a time as possible to stabilise the service."

The health board's interim chief executive Simon Dean told BBC Radio Wales it had made 14 attempts to recruit doctors in the last nine month, saying the difficult past few years for the health board "may well be a factor".

Mum opposes plan

Mary Heard, 36, from Rhyl, Denbighshire, and her 10-week-old daughter, Aurelia, were in the meeting listening to the discussion.

Speaking afterwards, she said she disagreed with the health board's preferred option to withdraw consultant-led care at Glan Clwyd Hospital.

"All my three children were high-risk births. It meant a lot to me to have them at Glan Clwyd," she said.

"My husband works and many of my family don't drive, so if I'd given birth elsewhere, I wouldn't have had anyone with me."

Bosses still favour the option to downgrade services at Glan Clwyd Hospital - a plan which was challenged in court - and the board agreed at its meeting in Llandudno, Conwy county, to press ahead with a public consultation on that and other plans.

Greater risk

This could mean withdrawing doctor-led maternity care at Bangor or Wrexham or there could be no change so consultant-led care would remain at all three hospitals.

On Sunday, Mr Dean said maternity units in north Wales have previously been forced to temporarily shut over safety fears for mothers and babies.

Critics of the plan say expectant mothers needing care from doctors would be put at greater risk by having to travel further.

The British Medical Association and politicians have also been highly critical of the health board for not seeking the views of staff and the public in drawing up its plans.

A final decision will be taken in November after the consultation closes.