We’ll Save Health Service, Says Plaid

Plaid Cymru pledged yesterday to “save the health service”. The party’s health manifesto promised to “stop the hospital closure programme in its tracks”, despite Labour’s claim that Plaid was scaremongering voters.

Plans to redesign health services across Wales prompted a fierce backlash from local people, such as in Llandudno where an action group was formed to defend services at the town’s general hospital.

Labour accused Plaid of inventing a closure list and announced it would guarantee the future of hospitals in regional manifestos.

But Plaid published a poster yesterday saying: “The health service saves lives. Plaid can save the health service.”

Shadow health minister Helen Mary Jones said: “Plaid is committed to stopping the hospital closure programme.

“The current proposals contain little detail on how they will improve access to NHS services and how community services will be developed.”

A Labour spokeswoman said: “This is just more of the negative scaremongering tactics.

“Labour health minister Brian Gibbons made it absolutely clear that none of the hospitals on this so-called closure list, from Llandudno right down to Llanelli, are going to be closed.”

Plaid highlighted its plans for a national children’s health service that include employing at least one school nurse for every secondary school catchment area.

A range of health services, including GP surgeries, would be housed in a network of “well-being centres”.