Since my election in 2019, ensuring Wrexham residents have access to excellent and timely healthcare has always been one of my top priorities. As healthcare is devolved, the Welsh Government is responsible for all aspects of healthcare in Wales. Despite the UK Government handing the Welsh Government £18 billion a year, which is the largest annual funding settlement to Wales since devolution began, access to healthcare in Wrexham is getting worse.
Constituents having to wait 15 hours to be seen at the Maelor and even turning to payday loans to fund private operations after spending years on waiting lists for surgery are just some of the examples that I am hearing from residents. Access to healthcare is consistently the number one issue in my inbox. This is why I launched my health campaign; calling on the Welsh Government to step up and properly fund and manage the NHS in Wales.
The message I am hearing is clear. The people of Wrexham simply have no confidence in the management of the NHS, at the hands of the Welsh Labour Government. Not only should constituents have timely access to healthcare, but our dedicated and resilient NHS staff deserve support rather than the extreme pressure they are placed under. Anything less is just not acceptable.
Since 2010/11, the UK Government has increased health spending in England by 38.9%, whilst the Welsh Government has increased health spending in Wales by just 30.6%. The Welsh Government is simply not prioritising spending money where it matters to constituents most.
The Welsh Government is amply funded, but the question remains as to how, when, and where the Welsh Government decides to spend this money. I have written again to the Welsh Government’s Minister for Health and Social Services to ask how much the Welsh Government allocates to BCUHB per head of the population, and how this compares to other Health Boards across Wales.
A recent visit to the Urgent Primary Care Centre (UPCC) at Wrexham Maelor Hospital with Ian Donnelly, Managing Director, showed that progress on plans to reduce wait times is finally being made. The UPCC is designed to relieve the pressure on A&E by taking direct referrals from GP’s, Pharmacists, and the 111 service. In addition to this, during the visit, I heard of plans to open Plas Gororau, an off-site unit that will move services from the Maelor and, in turn, relieve space within the hospital to enable the Emergency Department to work more efficiently.
Whilst there is no denying that healthcare provision in Wrexham has a long way to go, these are steps in the right direction. But with the Maelor recently being ranked the worst in Wales for the number of patients seen within the four-hour waiting time target, improvements cannot wait any longer.
As always, my health campaign continues and there is much more information on my website, where you can sign my campaign to send the Welsh Government a strong message that we deserve better healthcare! Follow this link to give your say: https://www.sarahatherton.org.uk/healthcare-wrexham.
Lastly, if you are a resident in Wrexham and need my assistance with any local or national issues, please contact me by emailing sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk.