Responding to the news that the Welsh Government has confirmed a £33m investment at the Royal Alexandra hospital site in Rhyl, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has said it is "too little, too late" and questioned whether it is just another pre-election promise.
Plans for a £22m hospital at the Royal Alexandra site were first announced back in 2013 and backed by the Welsh Government with promises it would be open in 2016.
Pre-election promises that the hospital would be delivered were given in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021, and all were broken.
With the May Senedd election fast approaching, Darren has questioned whether this week's announcement by the Labour-led Welsh Government is yet another ploy to win votes.
He said:
"Whilst I would love to welcome the announced funding for this new hospital, given the relentless broken promises regarding this development since 2013, I will believe it when I see it.
"When plans for this hospital were first announced 13 years ago, they proposed a 30-bed facility, including 18 inpatient beds for older people with mental health problems, along with an x-ray department, ultrasound facilities and a pharmacy, and a Minor Injuries Unit. Today's plans are massively scaled back and include just 14 beds.
"I have repeatedly told the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Health that this simply isn't enough. Pressures on the NHS in North Wales are much greater than they were when the new hospital was originally proposed, so these scaled-back plans will do little to relieve them. Sadly, what is being promised is too little, too late."
He added:
"The truth of the matter is, the Welsh Government dragged their heels for 13 long years and, in the meantime, construction costs have rocketed.
"I have been pushing for the delivery of this hospital in its original form since the day the proposals were first announced and was repeatedly told by those in power in Cardiff Bay that the funding simply wasn't available, yet they miraculously found the money to build new hospitals in South Wales during this period.
"They had an opportunity to relieve the unstainable pressures at Glan Clwyd and give patients in North Wales a health service they can depend on, instead the people of North Wales have been let down once again."
ENDS
