Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales have today said that it was important that patients were put first in the Welsh NHS. The call comes after it was revealed that NHS trusts were in deficit of £40 million according to the NHS Confederation.

Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales Assembly Members Rhodri Glyn Thomas and Dai Lloyd expressed their concern that money was going into bureaucracy rather than patient care.

Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Health Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas, before meeting with the NHS Confederation in Cardiff, commented:

“These debts will once again threaten frontline services in Wales. The Labour Assembly Government have allowed a £5 million increase in the last year’s administration costs by the Local Health Boards. New Labour failed to support the Plaid Cymru call for a full independent evaluation of Local Health Boards and administration costs. People in Wales will rightly ask what services could be offered to patients in Wales with £5 million. New Labour Ministers are talking tough, while patients are losing vital services. Wards face closure in Pembrokeshire and Swansea.”

Dr Dai Lloyd AM further commented:

"I have sought assurances from New Labour Ministers about how trusts deal with deficits. Why does it always seem that it is frontline services for patients that are cut and never red tape? In Swansea Fairwood Hospital could close along with 3 wards in Morriston in an effort to balance the books. Why should we lose clinical services whilst administration costs are spiralling?"

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