AN independent expert has described the health board’s controversial proposals to shake-up hospital services in the borough as “disingenuous” and “misleading”.
George Boulton, a senior NHS manager for more than 30 years, played a leading role in establishing the Princess of Wales Hospital in 1986.
After reading Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University health board’s “Changing for the Better” document – which outlines plans that could see Bridgend’s hospital drastically downgraded – Mr Boulton delivered a damning verdict.
He told the Gazette: “It is disingenuous to suggest concentrating hospital services and downgrading the Princess of Wales Hospital is ‘Changing for the Better’.”
Mr Boulton – now a consultant in international health policy, management and financing – was NHS chief administrator for the old Mid Glamorgan and responsible for commissioning and opening the Princess of Wales Hospital.
He said: “It is misleading to suggest that under the downgrading option, Princess of Wales Hospital would continue to provide ‘most of the services it now has for the people in Bridgend and surrounding areas’.
“It appears that it will cease to deal with increasingly common medical emergencies – cardiac and neurological events, common surgical emergencies, consultant supervised deliveries, inpatient paediatrics and other emergency conditions in all specialities.
“Since ABMU was created, increasing numbers of patients are travelling to access transferred services, without any consultation, to Swansea hospitals, in some cases for minor causes.”
But Hamish Laing, the health board’s director of clinical strategy, said: “When Mr Boulton was running the NHS more than 25 years ago, things were rather different.
“Most young doctors were men, now over 70% of medical students are female and are more likely to choose careers that permit part-time working and career breaks.
“NHS Wales could depend on large numbers of doctors from India and Pakistan to keep it running: no longer possible with changed immigration rules.”
The plans – running in conjunction with the six-health board South Wales programme – will see one or two regional centres set up at either the Princess of Wales Hospital, Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant or Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil. Unless the Princess of Wales Hospital becomes one of the new centres of excellence, casualty, maternity and children’s departments could be downgraded.
Mr Laing added: “Of course we want to do more day case and ambulatory treatment and provide much more care in the communities where people live. This is perhaps the biggest idea we have proposed. We want to see equitable access to high quality services for patients across whole of South Wales when they need them.
“No-one is suggesting centralising care for people from Bridgend in Swansea hospitals.”
Mr Boulton, from Southerndown, said: “Some developments discussed in the ‘Changing for the Better’ document are overdue in South Wales – the regional trauma centre model, systematic management of chronic disease, the concentration of some specialised care.
“However, the document neglects important balancing evidence which is relevant to any judgement about what is best for the Bridgend area.
“Changing for the Better is in effect a finance-driven document.”
A public meeting about the hospital shake-up plans will take place at the Evergreen Hall, Bridgend, tonight from 8pm.
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