Bed scandal for elderly at Ysbyty Alltwen

Feb 4 2010 by Eva Ketley, Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald

HEALTH watchdogs are to investigate a claim that an out of hours doctor based at the new Alltwen Hospital in Porthmadog telephoned a nursing home in Blaenau Ffestiniog and told the staff not to send patients to the hospital, but wait until the morning for the residents to see their own doctor.

And also why six beds at the new hospital were unoccupied when there was a need.

Cllr Dafydd Hughes, a Gwynedd council representative on the Meirionnydd community health council, said: “These out of hours doctors do not set the rules, the NHS and the GP’s do.”

The Community Health Council (CHC) agreed to raise the matter with local GPs and then the issue could be investigated by the NHS, which has a special department dealing with the out of hours service and any complaint regarding the service.

Cllr Hughes said he also understood that there was six empty beds at the new 30 bed Allt Wen hospital and wanted to know why the beds were being kept empty.

Chief CHC officer Pat Billingham said: “I have had a similar complaint that five patients could not be discharged from Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor to Blaenau Ffestiniog hospital because of lack of beds. Why could these patients have not been discharged from Bangor to Alltwen, and then the beds would be fully utilised?” she asked.