It has been seven years since the Labour Welsh Government promised to replace the Ablett Unit in Bodelwyddan with a new state of the art mental health unit.
In yesterday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar asked the Cabinet Secretary for Health, why it has still not been delivered.
Speaking in the Senedd Chamber, he said:
“Minister, one of the things that was promised to the people of North Wales to improve in-patient care in mental health units was a brand-new mental health unit to replace the Ablett Unit, which was closed in the wake of the Tawel Fan scandal.
“A promise was made seven years ago now to rebuild a new facility. We still haven’t seen that facility open or, indeed, building work actually commence on site.
“Can you tell us, is this another broken promise by the Labour Party that’s never going to be realised, letting down the people of North Wales yet again, and adding further insult to the injury already caused by those people who faced institutional abuse on the Tawel Fan ward? Or will you finally rectify the situation and make sure that the Welsh Government delivers on this promise as soon as possible?”
In her response, the Cabinet Secretary blamed the delay on “a huge rise in inflation”.
Speaking after the meeting, Darren said:
“This is yet another example of the Labour Welsh Government letting down the people of North Wales. They have failed to deliver the promised North Denbighshire Community Hospital in Rhyl and they have failed to deliver this much needed new mental health unit.
“They come out with excuse after excuse, but the truth of the matter is, if they had delivered these projects when they first promised to do so, costs would not have escalated.
“Whilst we sit waiting years here in North Wales for vital health services, we have seen projects delivered in South Wales. It simply isn’t good enough and it is high time those in power in Cardiff Bay started thinking about patients across the whole of Wales, not just those living in the south.”
