North Wales' mental health system 'on its knees' with patients travelling to London claims AM
New figures have revealed that in less than two years more than 200 mental health patients in North Wales have been sent out of the area for care.
The system was described as “on its knees” after the figures obtained by Anglesey AM Rhun ap Iorwerth revealed 219 patients have been transferred to mental health units outside of North Wales since August 2015 – 214 of these being in England.
A lack of beds was blamed as the main reason – a problem Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board described as “a nationwide issue”.
In a question to the First Minister, Plaid Cymru’s health spokesman Mr ap Iorwerth said: “The whole system is on its knees. When will the Government take action in order to safeguard some of my most vulnerable constituents?
“I understand that there’s now not a single psychiatric consultant for mental health patients aged 18 to 65.
“Mental health professionals are working under huge pressures that they can’t cope with, and they fear that they are having to make decisions that will be a risk to patients.
“The shortage of beds means that people are taken as far as London to be treated or receive care.”
In response, a health board spokesman said steps were already being taken to provide a locum psychiatric consultant for Anglesey while an advertisement for a second post is set to be published in the coming days.
He added: “The quality of care provided and safety of every patient is our primary concern, and we always try to admit patients to an available unit close to their home area.
“However, because of high demand, there are occasions when patients are either admitted to other acute units within the board area, or alternatively, admitted to units outside North Wales.
“On these occasions, we closely monitor our patient’s progress and move them to a unit as close to home as possible at the earliest opportunity.”
First Minister Carwyn Jones said: “Health boards have attained their targets as regards mental health services and have actually exceeded them in some areas in the past 12 months.”
