People in South West Wales must have a say on future of Major Trauma Centre

Decision to locate MTC in Cardiff instead of Swansea needs scrutiny

Plaid AM Dai Lloyd has urged the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Community Health Council to ensure that there is widespread consultation over plans to base the Major Trauma Centre at Cardiff’s University of Wales Hospital instead of Swansea’s Morriston Hospital.

Dr. Lloyd has written to the Community Health Council’s Chief Officer, Clare Jenkins, outlining his concerns over the proposal.

Dai Lloyd has stated:

“Concerns are rightly being raised with regards to the proposal to establish the Major Trauma Centre in Cardiff, at the expense of a very strong bid from Morriston Hospital.

“The decision to establish the MTC in Cardiff at the expense of Swansea will clearly have an impact on patients living in South West Wales.

“There are many questions which need to asked, and many points which need to be clarified. It is therefore vitally important that the public, particularly in this part of the world, are given an opportunity to scrutinise these plans in detail.

“I have therefore written to the ABMU Community Health Council outlining my objections and concerns, and would hope that they would ensure that the public in South West Wales are given a clear voice in this process.

“This move follows on from the loss of Paediatric and Adult Neurosurgery from Morriston Hospital some years ago, moves which we fiercely opposed locally.

“I have argued time and time again that we need to protect South West Wales and Mid Wales’ interests in this regard.

“We know that over a third of all major trauma patients in Wales originate in South West Wales for example. This is as a result of the particularly high rate of road accidents on rural and semi-rural roads, and agricultural and activity-based accidents, often linked to tourism, in rural West Wales.

“For patients who suffer life-threatening injuries, speed of transfer to specialist care is vital. Morriston’s location, with good motorway access, means that most people in South Wales and Mid Wales are within the ‘golden hour’ timeframe. That cannot be said of Cardiff.

“I have already raised my concerns with ABMU Health Board officials and with the First Minister, particularly with regards to the future vision for Morriston Hospital as a regional centre of excellence.

“This matter is hugely important and it needs in-depth scrutiny. The concerns of people in South West Wales need to be heard, and I would urge the Community Health Council to ensure that people are given a voice, before any final decision is taken.”