We Won’t Quit Hospital Beds Battle; Group Vows to Fight Axe Plan

By EMYR WILLIAMS

CAMPAIGNERS last night vowed to step up their battle to save under-threat hospital beds.

It came as health chiefs hammered out a compromise over the future of beds at Blaenau Ffestiniog memorial hospital.

Gwynedd Local Health Board in Bangor yesterday voted to reduce the hospital’s 17 beds to 12, and to axe them after three years.

Officers promised the situation will be reviewed each year by a local team.

Before voting, LHB members were told all 17 beds at the hospital were currently occupied, with two patients awaiting transfer from Ysbyty Gwynedd.

A month ago the LHB voted to reduce the 17 beds to eight.

Hospital defence committee spokesman Evan Glyn Williams said: "While a decision has been taken to remove all beds in three years time, LHB members may rest assured the fight is not over as far as the people of Blaenau Ffestiniog are concerned.

"While the decision today is better than what was proposed by the board a month ago, when there was no promise of annual reviews, the door is still open as far as we are concerned.

"A review every 12 months is acceptable, but our aim is to ensure that our hospital will still have beds beyond the three years."

Another local campaigner, Dewi Perkins, added: "It would be a tragedy for Blaenau to lose all of the hospital’s beds, and that is why today’s decision to remove them altogether just does not make sense."

Meirionnydd Community Health Council chairman Morfydd Lloyd, added: "While I accept we are better off today than a month ago, the fight is not over and we will be keeping a close watch on the situation."

CHC chief executive Gareth Owen added: "We must ensure that there will be a strong representation of local people on the implementation group facing the task of an annual review."

LHB chief executive Grace Lewis-Parry said: "The board must ensure that the evaluation framework is robust and takes account of both quantitative and qualitative indicators