A parent support charity have this week handed over a petition to the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board objecting to its proposed changes to neonatal care in North Wales.
Cuddles, a parent support group for the special care baby unit in Glan Clwyd Hospital, presented their 2,000 signature petition to health board officials at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, on Tuesday morning.
Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar, who has been supporting Cuddles in their efforts to get their views heard, this week emphasised the concerns of Cuddles - and other charities, organisations and service users – regarding the proposed changes to neonatal care in his written response to the to the public consultation on the proposals for changes to NHS services in North Wales.
He said:
"I strongly oppose proposals to relocate longer-term neonatal intensive care services from North Wales to Arrowe Park Hospital in the north west of England.
"Whilst my constituents accept that services will need to change in order to ensure that the All Wales Neonatal Standards are fully implemented in North Wales, they do not support the solution which has been put forward for consultation by the Health Board."
North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd added:
"This consultation has seen an unprecedented response so far, mainly due to opposition to the plan to move neonatal intensive care to Arrowe Park and the threat to local community services. We all want to see our health services improve but these changes will do the opposite of that – centralising and downgrading our NHS.
"If Betsi Cadwaladr’s board won’t listen to that opposition, then it’s important that the Community Health Council makes a formal objection to the Health Minister and she must then intervene to maintain and improve our local health services."
Picture Caption: Sandra Jones, Cuddles Assistant Chairman and David Schofield, Cuddles Volunteer, presenting the petition to Mervyn Davies Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Chairman.