Standing together: The Herald supports saving services at Withybush

IN THIS week’s Pembrokeshire Herald (Sept 26), we have published an exclusive story detailing the turmoil in cancer services at Withybush General Hospital.

We have revealed that instead of appointing a consultant cancer specialist to Withybush, the Local Health Board appointed a locum to Bronglais Hospital in Aberyswtwyth, which has under half the acute admissions of Withybush.

In the absence of a consultant, direct admissions of cancer patients in need cannot be made to Ward 10.

The Local Health Board failed to advertise for a replacement for Dr Anne Barnes MBE, despite having six months notice of her retirement.

The Board had not informed the national organisation – responsible for training all new doctors in Wales – of the crisis until this week.

After we went to print yesterday afternoon, we received the statement below from the Local Health Board.

The press statement from the Local Health Board reads: “Ward 10 at Withybush Hospital has not closed and any speculation to suggest it is closing is inaccurate. Ward 10 provides care to patients with both specialist cancer needs and general medical problems and is continuing to provide specialist nursing care to cancer patients.”
“Due to well-publicised recruitment problems, there is currently no full-time specialist consultant on site. We do, however, have part time consultant expertise supporting our experienced general physicians and support from consultant oncologists based at Singleton Hospital.”
“The University Health Board is taking a number of actions to address this situation including recruiting to locum posts in all areas and recruiting agency staff. In addition, we are working closely with ABMU Health Board to improve oncology recruitment and are currently reviewing the job description of the palliative care consultant post to attract more candidates”
“We would like to assure local people and patients that Ward 10 continues to care for patients with cancer and the university health board is entirely committed to the appointment of a full-time palliative care consultant.”

We stand by our story.

Stephen Crabb: The news is “deeply concerning”

Preseli Pembrokeshire MP, Stephen Crabb, has reacted to the story in The Herald. The Minister has criticised the effective withdrawal of specialist cancer services from Withybush Hospital.

Commenting on the revelations, he said: “The news that Withybush is set to lose specialist Oncology and palliative care is deeply concerning. Just weeks ago, local people were reassured that there was a green light for a new Ward 10 and Cancer Day Unit moving forward.”

“Yet we now hear that Cancer patients will be assessed in A & E and then treated on non-specialist wards. Strong concerns have been raised about staffing levels in relation to Oncology – the whole situation seems chaotic.”

“From the outside it appears that the public have been misinformed. I will shortly be holding a meeting with the Chair of the Hywel Dda Health Board and will be pressing her for a thorough explanation about this episode.”

“From SCBU to Paediatrics to Surgery and now Oncology, Pembrokeshire people are sick and tired of seeing local health services carved up in this fashion. There is no question in my mind that there is a sustained campaign to chip away at local health services, with local people fobbed off time and again with empty promises and worthless reassurances.”