3. 2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:25 pm on 4 July 2017.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of David Lloyd David Lloyd Plaid Cymru 2:25, 4 July 2017

Leader of the house, you’ll no doubt be aware that the ARCH project and the Swansea bay city deal look to develop Swansea and south-west Wales as a regional centre of excellence in health, building on the success of the postgraduate medical school. Now, current discussions around a major trauma centre for south Wales will potentially undermine all that. Reports last week suggested that Cardiff is set to be recommended as south Wales's major trauma centre, with Morriston Hospital in Swansea set to be designated as a major trauma unit as part of a wider network. Now, there's history here, of course, of centralisation of services in Cardiff. The leader of the house and I were, both significantly younger, involved in past battles in terms of trying to protect paediatric neurosurgery, lost from Morriston to Cardiff, and, later on, trying to protect adult neurosurgery, lost from Morriston to Cardiff. People in Swansea and south-west Wales are therefore concerned at what appears to be potentially yet more centralisation of key health services in Cardiff. Strong arguments have been made that Morriston is better located to become a major trauma centre, with a greater proportion of the south Wales population living within an hour's travelling time, and with mid and west Wales being Swansea's natural hinterland. Also, Morriston has a well-established burns and plastic surgery unit, which serves Wales and the south-west of England and is a leading unit nationwide. Given the concerns in Swansea, and competing views, I would be grateful if the Cabinet Secretary for health would bring forward a statement on this topic. Diolch yn fawr.