Health board announce plans for £64m hospital upgrades

Heath board bosses want to spend £8m on upgrading accident and emergency at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd

Plans to spend £64m improving three hospitals in north Wales have been approved.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is to spend £16m on updating facilities and reducing waiting times at accident and emergency at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor and Ysbyty Glan Clwyd near Rhyl.

it also plan to spend £48m developing Llandudno hospital.

The plans will need final approval from the assembly government.

The plans for Llandudno hospital include additional operating theatres for day surgery, a modernised outpatients department and a specialist centre for women's health with breast services and a fertility clinic.

Michael Williams, chair of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: "The numbers that are coming through A&E are considerably more than anticipated.

"People sit and wait far too long in some units.

"So the whole idea is to get them at least triaged early so that we can sort out the people who really need to be seen urgently from people who, perhaps, can sit and wait.

"If waiting time doesn't improve in A&E, then we've failed in what we want to achieve.

"At Wrexham Maelor Hospital our turnaround times are probably the best in Wales.

"That is not the situation at Glan Clwyd and at Ysbyty Gwynedd, and its no fault of the staff. The structure of the buildings, particularly at Glan Clwyd is unsatisfactory."

Review

Mr Williams also criticised politicians for causing "alarm" over rumoured hospital cuts.

Petitions containing 7,500 signatures against the closure of Alaw Ward cancer unit in Bangor and 11,000 opposing the downgrading of services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd have been submitted to the health board.

He said no such plans existed at this stage.

The trust is conducting a review of services across north Wales.

The health board issued a statement earlier this month saying it has no power to close any service, and if there are any changes in a service, they will only happen after full consultation with staff and the public.