Maternity services 'need change'

15 July 2011 Last updated at 12:35 GMT Maternity services at hospitals such as Glan Clwyd face a possible reorganisation Changes to maternity services at hospitals in north Wales are needed, according to a review.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board says it will draw up and consult on a range of options but no decisions had been taken.

There are fears maternity services may be cut at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Glan Clwyd, and Wrexham Maelor hospitals to provide midwife-led units.

The health board said services would remain as local as possible.

It said the first stage of its maternity and child health review had concluded the way services were planned and delivered had to change.

Unless they did, the number of specialist nurses, midwives and doctors would not meet national standards, it said.

It also said more needed to be done to help people to stop smoking, reduce obesity, improve mental health, reduce unwanted pregnancies and increase the number of children and babies being immunized.

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Where we can and it is safe to do so, services will be as local as possible”

End Quote Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Meetings with staff, patients and other interested parties to discuss changes will be held in the coming weeks.

It said no plans had been put to the project board and if there was any significant service change it would discuss public consultation it with the community health council.

"Patient safety is the health board's number one priority, improving the health of the population and making sure we live within our public resources are also important," it said.

"Where we can and it is safe to do so, services will be as local as possible."

The health board first announced its plans for a review last year.

It led Prestatyn GP Eamonn Jessup to warn cuts in services to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, would mean mothers would have to travel for emergency caesareans and some babies would die.

A online campaign to maintain acute services at the unit has attracted over 18,000 members.

Another group is calling for the retention of all maternity services at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

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Hain plans assembly vote change

14 July 2011 Last updated at 09:23 GMT Peter Hain says the current two-tier voting system should be changed Shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has called for a first-past-the-post voting system in assembly elections.

Labour will push for the change if the boundaries of Westminster seats are re-draw.

The proposal would scrap the assembly's part-proportional voting system and create 30 two-members constituencies.

Mr Hain, who campaigned for the alternative vote in Westminster general elections at May's referndum, is hoping for cross-party support for the idea.

He will meet Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan on Thursday to discuss the plans.

The assembly's current electoral system sees 40 constituency members elected by first-past-the-post and 20 elected from regional lists.

The Wales Office told the Commons' Welsh Affairs Select Committee it is looking at how parliamentary boundary changes may affect assembly boundaries but stressed that the work is at a very early stage.

"As we've seen in Scotland, when you separate assembly seats from parliamentary seats, it creates a great deal of confusion for voters, for parties and for the wider public," said Neath MP Mr Hain.

"If that happened in Wales, you would be likely to have a situation where one assembly seat straddled three parliamentary seats, which leads to confusion for voters, political parties and their representatives.

Manifesto commitment

"I think everybody accepts there has to be change.

"There's a total agreement on this and we need to do it in a way that is non-tribal, crosses parties and seats to build consensus which I hope Cheryl Gillan does."

Mr Hain pointed out that May's referendum vote on a change from first-past-the-post to an alternative vote for Westminster general elections received a resounding no, which could clear the way for change in Wales. Mr Hain campaigned for a Yes vote in the referendum.

"The only acceptable option given the AV referendum result is to have all AMs elected by first-past-the-post, and we believe that each of the 30 new constituencies should elect two AMs by that system," he added.

"I think in retrospect we have to accept that we got it wrong when we set up the assembly with a two-tier electoral system that has two kinds of AM, and it should now be changed.

"We believe the only change that would be possible without a further referendum or general election manifesto commitment is a change to first past the post.

'Self interest'

"The case for AV at Westminster level was defeated by a thumping majority for first-past-the-post. This is the only voting system that commands cross-party and public support in Wales."

Mr Hain denied that the proposal was a bid to strengthen Labour's grip in Wales. The party is running the Welsh Government single-handedly after winning half the seats in the Senedd at May's assembly elections.

He said: "In the end it's not about who wins and who loses, it's about accepting the verdict of the electorate and they were clear in this referendum."

But former Plaid Cymru AM Helen Mary Jones claimed the plans were "self interest".

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If you go to a first-past-the-post system, we all know that you can get governments elected with overall majorities on less than a third of the votes”

End Quote Helen Mary Jones Plaid Cymru "This is party political motivated and to be completely honest, he should be ashamed of himself and if Carwyn Jones and the Labour AMs are backing him in this, then I think it's really disappointing," she said.

"If you go to a first-past-the-post system, we all know that you can get governments elected with overall majorities on less than a third of the votes.

"I don't think that's fair and I don't think the majority of the Welsh people would think that's fair.

"I think there is an argument for seats having the same boundaries... but it doesn't mean you have to go for the same voting system where the votes of two-thirds of the voters very often don't count for anything.

"If we are going to change the system and go for the seats having at Westminster having the same pattern as the seats at the assembly, there is an alternative to what Peter Hain is suggesting.

"You have 30 first-past-the-post constituencies and 30 list seats which would make the current system fairer and more proportional."

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