Edwina Hart defends brain surgery hospital decision

HEALTH Minister Edwina Hart today defended a decision to centralise brain surgery for patients from mid and South Wales in Cardiff.

During heated exchanges in the Senedd, she said she had followed the advice of clinical experts about what was best for patient safety.

A report on NHS neurosurgery last month said all emergency and intra-cranial work should be carried out at the capital's University Hospital of Wales (UHW).

Non-complex spinal surgery, outpatient and day-case neurosurgery will continue at the UHW and Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

The shake-up was supposed to draw a line under a long-running and often bitter row about neuroscience services which are under pressure from a shortage of specialist doctors.

At health questions, Liberal Democrat spokesman Peter Black accused the minister of "abandoning" emergency neurosurgery at Morriston.

Tory AM Alun Cairns said: "I well remember before the last Assembly elections the minister was unequivocal when she was in a previous post that emergency service in Swansea should not move because of the vital two-hour travelling time in order to access emergency neurosurgery care in Swansea.

"That's what the minister said before the election and we are now receiving a completely different response in terms of what we are receiving after the election."

Mrs Hart accused him of "pure mischief-making", saying: "I am sorry that you feel unable to accept the recommendation of all the clinicians within the area about what is necessary in terms of the safety of services.

"At the end of the day, what we wanted to do was to maintain services in Swansea and Cardiff.

"The only issue that has gone to Cardiff is the continuation of complex intra-cranial neurosurgery."

Complex and emergency neurosurgery was transferred from Swansea to Cardiff in July because of a shortage of doctors – an arrangement now being made permanent.

Mrs Hart added that a "wave" of other services would return to Morriston, on the doorstep of her Gower constituency.

"At the end of the day, this is about patient safety," she said.

"The neurosurgeons have told me that I can't compromise on any of these issues, that we have got to have the right staffing in place and we have got to do the right thing."