10. Will the First Minister make a statement on the future of vascular services at Ysbyty Gwynedd? (OAQ51216)[W]

Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board has approved plans to create a specialist vascular unit for north Wales at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. There are no plans to close any other vascular departments. The health board will continue to treat patients with non-complex needs at all three north Wales hospitals.

Given that the health board is in special measures, the final word on one of the crucial services of Ysbyty Gwynedd sits with your Government. The intention is to move the emergency vascular service away from Bangor, so if there were to be an accident in Aberdaron and someone needed urgent attention because of serious bleeding, then that person would have to travel 72 miles—an hour and three quarters—in order to be treated. The health board intends to spend over £2 million on a new theatre in order to create a single new vascular unit. Is that good value for money when we already have two vascular units that are among the best in Britain, in Bangor and Wrexham? Will your Government intervene and ensure that common sense prevails, so that there is a top-quality service available to people in all parts of north Wales?

There was a review of this, if I remember rightly, and one of the things that that came up with was that we needed one specialist unit. We’ve argued about these issues previously in the Assembly, where people have opposed moving a specialist service from one hospital to another, but the outcome is that the results are better. We saw that with colorectal surgery, when that moved from Bronglais to Cardiff. The outcomes were improved because of that move. I know it’s something that won’t receive the support of everybody, but we have to ensure that the people of north Wales have the same access to a specialist unit as everybody else. Eighty per cent of patients will still receive their treatment in Ysbyty Gwynedd, but with the more complex cases—perhaps six cases a week is the estimate currently—they will receive the treatment in a specialist hospital in order to get better outcomes.

Thank you, First Minister.