HEALTH AND . . .

H.M. Stanley Hospital, St. Asaph 

Our local hospitals are in disarray. In March 2008 came news that the newest of them, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan, would have to be rebuilt at a cost of £200-300 million because of asbestos. Then came a long wrangle over the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Rhyl.

At present the Alex seems to be dealing only with out-patients and has no wards open. The controlling body, the awkwardly-named Betsi Cadwaldr University Health Board which is based near Bangor, seems deaf to public protests about this.

Last week’s Denbighshire Free Press front-paged the closure of H.M. Stanley Hospital, St. Asaph (pictured above) which has a stroke unit and eye clinic. Closure will be in March 2011. Betsi strikes again!

Meanwhile, the new Conserberal government has promised a major shake-up of the NHS. We are told that this will not mean cutting the budget, but NHS workers and patients are expressing concern about what they call ‘creeping privatisation’.

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