Meetings

The Committee noted both papers.

The Committee noted the letter from South Meirionnydd Older People’s Forum and correspondence dated February 2017 from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and agreed to write to the Health Board to ask:

• why the opening hours for the Minor Injuries Unit at Tywyn Memorial Hospital appear not to have been extended in summer 2017 despite the commitment to do so; and
• why the South Meirionnydd Older People’s Forum have apparently not received a response from the Health Board to a number of requests for information.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and, given the petitioners’ satisfaction with the commitments made regarding the provision of services, agreed to close the petition.  Members also wished to congratulate the petitioners on the successful outcome of their petition.

The Committee considered the latest correspondence from the petitioner and expressed their disappointment, having not received a response to previous correspondence sent to the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Committee agreed to write again to the Health Board seeking:

·         their response to the latest comments from the petitioner, and;

·         information about access to minor injuries services in the Tywyn area, including outside of Tywyn Hospital’s opening hours.

William Powell declared the following relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A:

William Powell had met the petitioners for petition P-04-564 (Restoration of Inpatient Beds, Minor Injuries Cover and X-Ray Unit to the Ffestiniog Memorial Hospital).

The Committee considered correspondence on the petitions and agreed to:

• as requested by the petitioners for petition P-04-564, ask the Minister to consider reviewing:

• the decisions taken by BCUHB, in relation to the matters of concern to the petitioners, before it was placed in special measures to ensure that the systemic issues that have since been identified at the Health Board did not lead to faulty decisions; and
• the healthcare plans for the Welsh Uplands by a body such as the Mid Wales Healthcare Collaborative; and
• write to the Health Board to provide details of the results of their monitoring of access to local minor injury services in the Welsh Uplands; and
• as requested by the petitioners for petition P-04-479 (Tywyn Memorial Hospital X-ray & Minor Injuries Unit), ask the Health Board how they have addressed the CHC’s recommendation that the Health Board should have a strategy for accessing an alternate minor injuries service outside of the opening hours of Tywyn Hospital

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         ask the Health Board for:

o   their comments on the latest comments from petitioners; how the independent co-chairs of the new body are proposing to work together to take issues forward

o   their views on the minor injuries unit in Tywyn’s opening times appearing to be out of synch with other opening times in the area and whether this might push people toward services elsewhere such as A&E or GP services.

o   seek a note of a recent meeting that took place between the Mid Wales Health Collaborative group.

The petition was considered together with agenda item 3.15 (P-04-466)

The Committee considered an update on the situation locally from the Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr Local Health Board and agreed to seek the petitioners’ views on the current position.

See agreed action under item 4.4.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to draw the petitioners’ further comments to the attention of the UHB and ask them to inform the Committee of progress in 3 months time on progress on service development and delivery following publication of the report of the Mid Wales Healthcare Study.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to ask the Health Board to respond to the points made on behalf of the petitioners.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petitions and agreed in the light of the petitioner’s comments to:

• write again to the acting Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr seeking confirmation of the situation regarding minor injuries provision in GP practice in Tywyn; and
• Seek the petitioner’s views on the announcement by the Minister for Health and Social Services on the ‘study of the issues and opportunities suited to the specific needs of people living in Mid Wales’.

Members discussed the evidence sessions on the 11 November and agreed to ask the Local Health Board whether they have done a Traffic Impact Assessment and what this might demonstrate about getting patients treatment within the “golden hour”; and to consider the petitioners’ further written comments.

Brian Mintoft, Lead Petitioner

Diane Tucker, Petitioner

Mike Parry, Dr Delyth Davies, Brian Mintoft and Jennie Windsor answered questions from the Committee.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to invite the petitioners to speak to the Committee along with the petitioners for P-04-466 at its proposed meeting in North Wales in November.

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to Betsi Cadwaladr Local Health Board seeking their views on the petition, copying the Minister for Health and Social Services and the Health and Social Care Committee.