Meetings

7.1.1 The Committee noted the letter.

In discussing the petition it was noted that the Petitions Committee was not best placed to know the best model of care provision for the area concerned, and Members agreed it was a matter for the Health Board to engage locally as they had indicated in their correspondence.

Members agreed to write to the Health Board to ask that they update the Health and Social Care Committee directly, noting the Chief Executive’s offer to update Members on progress, and that this would be a matter for public scrutiny, and to write to the Health and Social Care Committee to ask that they raise the matter in their next engagement with the Health Board.

The Chair noted that in a recent meeting between North Wales Members and the Health Board the Chief Executive had indicated that a further update on the situation would be provided in writing. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to highlight the latest responses from the Hospital Action Group and the Community Hospital Association, and to copy in the Chief Executive of the Health Board, and then hoped to see more clarity in the next update from the Health Board. The petition would be kept open pending their response.

3.6.1 The Committee noted the letter.

Members considered the petition and agreed that it is unusual for the Committee to keep writing back and forth to the Health Board for 18 months and not achieving an outcome.

Members expressed their frustration on behalf of the petitioners and agreed in order to get some targeted responses for the petitioner they would write again to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Committee agreed that honesty and clarity was needed as to whether it is possible for the Health Board to provide the service or not, in light of the ongoing recruitment and retention issues.

Members agreed to ask how the service used to be provided, and where is it currently being provided. It was noted that a safe and sustainable model of quality care is preferable to poor local care.

The Chair of the Committee agreed to ask whether the Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee would be interested in co-signing the letter to the Health Board.

The Committee considered the petition and noted that the action requested in the petition, and which all parties are trying to achieve, has still not happened.

Members agreed to write a further letter to the health board asking when we can expect to receive a date for the reopening of the ward.

The Committee considered the petition and noted the correspondence from the Health Board, Community Hospital Association and petitioner.

The Committee agreed to write back to the Health Board raising the petitioner’s and the Community Hospital Association’s concerns, and specifically ask for:

• a further update on recruitment efforts, including efforts to recruit out of area (within the UK);

details of the Health Boards decision to withdraw the right for public questions to be asked at general meetings.

The Committee considered the petition and expressed their disappointment at the lack of progress since the hospital was closed earlier in the year on 13 April. The Committee agreed to write to the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in order to ask for a quarterly update on what actions have been taken to recruit staff, and ask for a response to the further questions provided by the petitioner.

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to keep the petition open pending an update from the Llais public meeting scheduled later in September.

In addition to this the Committee agreed to forward the petition to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and ask what is being done on the issue.