Staff at the West End Medical Centre in Colwyn Bay were instructed to cancel a meeting with Clwyd West MS Darren Millar, even though they were available to meet. 
 
The Clwyd West MS had arranged a meeting with the Practice Manager following an increase in patient complaints to his office about access to appointments, prescriptions and telephone call backs. The problems which have been persistent since the Health Board took over the day to day management of the Rhoslan and Rysseldene practices after GPs in both surgeries handed back their NHS contract in recent years. 
 
Darren has held a number of helpful meetings with practice staff, GPs and senior managers over the past 12 months and was hoping to do so again, but on arrival at the West End Medical Centre this morning, apologetic staff informed him that they had been told not to meet with him by senior Health Board managers. 
 
Darren said:
 
"I find it extraordinary that senior Health Board managers are instructing staff not to engage with local elected representatives. 
 
"I'm sorry to say that too many of my constituents feel let down by the Medical Centre at the moment with some trying to register at other GP practices as a result. 
 
"It's vital that MSs can discuss patient concerns with frontline teams to get to the heart of these issues and work on solutions. Instructing people not to meet simply suggests that senior NHS managers don't care."