Three week closure of hospital’s minor injury unit branded “utter shambles”

Staffing pressures have been blamed for the planned three-week closure of a Gwynedd hospital’s minor injuries unit.

It’s been confirmed that the facility at Ysbyty Bryn Beryl near Pwllheli will close from Sunday with no plans to reopen until January 3, with the health board apologising for any disruption and referring patients to the unaffected 24-hour service 12 miles away at Ysbyty Alltwen.

But the move has been slammed by one local councillor, who claims that it will leave parts of Llŷn having to travel to Porthmadog during a time when such a facility is most needed.

Cllr Peter Read told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the situation was an “utter shambles” while pointing to Sunday’s planned closure of the 40-bed nursing home at the Penrhos Polish Home, also near Pwllheli.

“The health board couldn’t have picked a worse time to do this,” said the WNP member for the Abererch ward.

“The doctor’s surgeries will be full. It often feels that we’re treated like a third world outpost here in Llŷn.

“Given the direction of travel, I’m furious, but this is the latest in a line of similar incidents.

“People are up in arms, and I can’t say I blame them.”

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts said she had spoken to health board managers to clarify the situation.

“The situation is to be reviewed weekly, and I’ve asked for a social media information campaign throughout the three-week period to make sure that people know that they can go to Ysbyty Alltwen at any time on any day of the week for minor injuries treatment,” she said.

“It’s been a tough year for all clinical staff, and I’d like to take the opportunity to thank them for their work in extraordinarily difficult circumstances.”

Ffion Johnstone, the area director west for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “We have taken the decision to temporarily close Ysbyty Bryn Beryl Minor Injury Unit (MIU) in response to current staffing challenges.

“The MIU will temporarily close from Sunday, December 13, for three weeks.

“We are keeping this under review and hope to be able to return to normal opening hours from January 3, 2021.

“We would like to apologise for any disruption this may cause, but our priority has to be to provide safe and effective services for patients whilst also ensuring the wellbeing of our staff.

“It is also essential that we provide an MIU service with appropriately skilled staff which is safe for our patients.

“We would like to remind our local community that Ysbyty Alltwen’s Minor Injury Unit remains operational and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

By Gareth Williams – Local Democracy Reporter