6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the future of trauma services in south Wales? (OAQ51085)

I missed the question; there was a bit of yapping on my left, but I have the question—.

It’s on the order paper.

May I apologise? Well, in the health board meetings in September, they will consider the recommendations regarding the establishment of a major trauma network for south Wales, west Wales and south Powys. This includes formally receiving the independent expert panel’s report on the operation of a major trauma network and a major trauma centre.

Thank you very much for that response, First Minister. Naturally, the recommendation to establish the main trauma centre in the University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff, is another example of a service that is being centralised in Cardiff at the expense of Morriston Hospital in Swansea, and this follows the loss of other services such as neurosurgery some years ago—neurosurgery for children and adults has disappeared from Swansea to Cardiff. Indeed, Morriston lost the neurosurgery unit for children although the only paediatric neurosurgeon throughout the whole of Wales was based in Morriston, but that wasn’t enough to retain the unit in Morriston, and it was moved to Cardiff.

Naturally, therefore, there is concern in the south west of Wales that specialist services are being lost and that Morriston Hospital doesn’t appear to be prominent enough in Welsh Government plans. Losing or weakening services undermines the status of the hospital as a regional centre of expertise, and also the city deal objectives in Swansea, which is looking to develop research and health posts of high quality. Also, the burns unit at Morriston—the only one in Wales, which also serves the south-west of England—the presence of that burns unit is crucially important for any major trauma centre. So, given all of that, will you, as a Government, commit to introducing a detailed vision for the Morriston site that builds on its clear strengths?

Morriston is crucial as regards health services as a major hospital that serves such a large population. But, he is saying that the Welsh Government has done this. This isn’t the view of Welsh Government. When you have a situation where people are strongly in favour of one site or another, the only thing you can do is establish an expert panel, as happened. That panel has presented its recommendation to the public. We know what they are and it’s up to the health boards now to collaborate to ensure that we do secure a centre. We know that it’s impossible to get two centres—we know that—but it’s crucially important now that the recommendations are considered and that a decision is made. But, as regards Welsh Government, we have no view, because the panel has submitted the recommendations and it’s now in the hands of the health board. If there is no agreement between the health boards, then, of course, it will come to Welsh Ministers and then every fact would have to be considered as regards the siting.

Well, it’s three years since the expert panel was set up to consider the location of the new unit, and, in that time, neither Cardiff nor Bristol have got any closer to Aberystwyth or Haverfordwest, let alone places in my region. The head of the independent panel, as we heard, is now speaking of moving the burns unit from Morriston to Cardiff and that, for me, raises questions about quite how these recommendations are being made in the first place. Morriston is just about to receive £2 million towards investment in response to cardiac emergency times, for which we are grateful, but it’s obviously a material consideration in that decision, the length of time it takes ambulances to travel. I accept that care in transit is a material issue, but, if it’s being taken into consideration for deciding where emergency cardiac services are to be improved, why isn’t it such a material consideration in where trauma services are to be improved? I appreciate it’s not your opinion, but it will form the Cabinet Secretary’s decision. I’m hoping to hear that transit time will be something that is taken more seriously than it currently seems to be.

Well, it might. It depends, of course, if the health boards agree or not. If they don’t, then of course it will come to the Cabinet Secretary for decision. Wherever you place the trauma centre, there will be people who are more than an hour away from it. It’s inevitable; the geography dictates that. Of course, we have air ambulances that are able to assist in terms of bringing people to hospitals more quickly. But the independent panel has made its recommendations; they’re out in the open now. It’s now for the health boards to decide amongst themselves what the most effective way should be of establishing a major trauma centre—not just a centre, but a trauma network as well. It can’t all be about one centre, important though that centre is, wherever it goes; it has to be about establishing a proper, responsive network to trauma that can feed into that trauma centre in the most appropriate time.

Finally, David Rees.

Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, I can join with the concerns of my colleagues regarding the major trauma centre being located in Cardiff and the possible losses of services at Morriston. We know that, when services move, others tend to follow them. Now, in this case, there is no service move because it’s a new service, but what I want is guarantees that services at Morriston stay in Morriston, because they’ve built up a reputation, they’ve built up a service delivery for local people, and I don’t want to see that damaged in any way whatsoever. It’s important that Morriston stays, not just a leader of that network, but that the services it has stay.

Morriston is bound to be an important district general hospital. It provides many specialised services for the hospitals further west in order for those hospitals to be able to provide the services for their people. I know that—. I’ve been told by consultants who work in Morriston that they often work in the hospitals further west as well. So, there’s no question of Morriston losing its status as one of our most important DGHs. Wherever the trauma centre goes, and that is something for the health boards to decide, it’s important, as I said, that that network is in place. At the end of the day, this is about providing more specialised and better care for people who are deeply in need of that care. We don’t have a trauma centre; we need one. It is based in the south, that’s true, but we need to have one trauma centre wherever that goes. But, certainly, as far as Morriston is concerned, it remains a big hospital serving an important city and will continue to provide specialised services, not just for Swansea, but for further west as well.

Thank you, First Minister.