Shadow Minister for North Wales and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has raised concerns about the performance of GP practices directly managed by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in his constituency.

In this week’s Questions to the First Minister, Darren asked what assessment the First Minister has made of the progress made by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board over the last 12 months.

Responding on behalf of the First Minister, the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths MS, admitted it had been a “challenging year for the health board”, with “serious concerns about quality, governance and performance, resulting in an increased escalation status to targeted intervention for vascular services and the Glan Clwyd Hospital site”, but said that “the health board has responded swiftly and there are signs of improvement.”

However, Darren contested that there had been any improvements, highlighting concerns raised by patients of Rhoslan and Rysseldene, Health Board managed practices based at West End Medical Centre in Colwyn Bay.

Speaking in the Senedd chamber, he said:

“I haven't seen any signs of improvement, Minister. I'm very, very concerned about the parlous state of services for patients across North Wales, particularly those that are served by Glan Clwyd Hospital.

“One of the other concerns that is ringing alarm bells in my inbox every single day is the appalling access to GP services in the Colwyn Bay and Rhos-on-Sea area which is served by both Rhoslan and Rysseldene surgeries, both of which are managed directly by the health board because the GP contracts have come to an end.

“Those two surgeries are not performing at a level that anybody in my constituency is happy with. There has been no improvement in terms of access over the past 12 months to appointments, particularly face-to-face appointments with GPs. There have regularly been problems with access to repeat prescriptions for those who are chronically ill, and, quite frankly, it's not good enough.

“When will we see the sort of healthcare that the people of North Wales need to see, and when will people served by those two managed practices in the Colwyn Bay and Rhos-on-Sea area get a primary care service that they can rely on?”

The Minister agreed “that access to GP services is not where we would want it to be in North Wales” and suggested Darren meets with the new director for primary care to discuss his concerns.