Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar met with the British Red Cross on Friday to discuss the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board's decision to axe the Red Cross Wellbeing and Home Safe Service, which operates in all three North Wales emergency departments.

The vital service, which supports patients and staff in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan, Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor and Wrexham Maelor, will end in May this year due to "costs".

After learning of the decision, Darren said “it makes no sense to scrap a service that is doing so much good work”.

Following Friday’s meeting with the Red Cross, Darren said:

“The loss of this vital service is of real concern and as soon as I heard of the Health Board’s plans, I reached out to the Red Cross to set up a meeting to discuss the decision and any possible options to safeguard the service.

“During our meeting, the Red Cross told me in detail of all their efforts to ensure that scrapping the service in its entirety was not the final outcome. It appears to me that they have done all the can to try to save the service but they have not been able to agree a way forward with the Health Board. 

“They also outlined how their Wellbeing and Home Safe Service has benefitted hundreds of patients and their loved ones at hospital sites across North Wales, and during rehabilitation at home, since its establishment and spoke of their concern at the 60 job losses that will come about as a result of the service ending.”

Darren added:

“What I have been told by the Red Cross just reaffirms what a huge loss this service will be in our hospitals.   

“It absolutely essential that these services continue so I have written to the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to outline my grave concerns and encourage them to get back to the negotiating table to prevent the loss of these services.”