Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is calling for GP services to be prioritised for North-East Wales.
Mr Rowlands who has repeatedly called for more to be done to retain and encourage GP’s in North Wales, asked Jeremy Miles, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services what assessment has he made of access to GP services in North-East Wales.
Speaking in the Senedd he said:
The fact that more than 100 GP surgeries have shut across Wales since 2012 is one that should deeply concern every Member here. It has a terrible impact on the health and well-being of our constituents.
This is no different in North-East Wales. Residents in Gwersyllt recently told me that they have a lack of adequate GP services, making them less healthy, and they recognise that they're putting pressure on emergency services and hospitals, especially at the Maelor in Wrexham.
A recent comprehensive review by University of Southampton found that patients have a strong preference for direct consultations with a GP, with an emphasis on in-person appointments.
Given this patient preference and the outsized impact that a good GP service has on reducing pressures at the hospital front door, how are you ensuring that North-East Wales is prioritised when it comes to that training and recruiting of GPs in the years and decades ahead?
Jeremy Miles said the Welsh Government was committed to improving access to GP services across Wales through additional capacity funding and their review of the access standards.
Mr Rowlands added:
It’s all well and good to say work is in progress to improve the situation but the reduction of GP surgeries hits our communities hard and it is something ! am particularly concerned about for North-East Wales.
We have gone from a system of traditional family doctors who know people, their relatives and ailments, to a scenario where we have GP deserts, with poor provision putting even more strain on the GP surgeries that do remain.
We are also seeing a knock on effect for our main hospitals with patients being forced to go to our already overwhelmed A&E departments because they can’t get to see their GP.
Sam Rowlands AS yn poeni am wasanaethau meddygon teulu yn ei ranbarth
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr Aelod o’r Senedd dros y Gogledd, yn galw am flaenoriaethu gwasanaethau meddygon teulu ar gyfer Gogledd-ddwyrain Cymru.
Gofynnodd Mr Rowlands, sydd wedi galw droeon am wneud mwy i gadw ac annog meddygon teulu yng Ngogledd Cymru, i Jeremy Miles, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol pa asesiad y mae wedi'i wneud o fynediad at wasanaethau meddygon teulu yng Ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru.
Yn y Senedd dywedodd:
Dylai'r ffaith bod mwy na 100 o feddygfeydd teulu wedi cau ledled Cymru ers 2012 beri cryn bryder i bob un o'r Aelodau yma. Mae hyn yn cael effaith ofnadwy ar iechyd a lles ein hetholwyr.
Ac nid yw hyn yn ddim gwahanol yn y gogledd-ddwyrain. Dywedodd trigolion Gwersyllt wrthyf yn ddiweddar nad oes ganddynt ddigon o wasanaethau meddyg teulu digonol, gan eu gwneud yn llai iach, ac maent yn cydnabod eu bod yn rhoi pwysau ar wasanaethau brys ac ysbytai, yn enwedig Ysbyty Maelor yn Wrecsam.
Mae adolygiad cynhwysfawr diweddar gan Brifysgol Southampton wedi canfod ei bod yn llawer gwell gan gleifion ymgynghoriadau uniongyrchol â meddyg teulu, gyda phwyslais ar apwyntiadau wyneb yn wyneb.
Felly, o ystyried mai dyma sydd orau gan gleifion a'r effaith anferth y mae gwasanaeth meddyg teulu da yn ei chael o ran lleihau pwysau ar ysbytai, sut rydych chi'n sicrhau bod gogledd-ddwyrain Cymru'n cael blaenoriaeth o ran hyfforddi a recriwtio meddygon teulu yn y blynyddoedd a'r degawdau i ddod?
Dywedodd Jeremy Miles fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i wella mynediad at wasanaethau meddygon teulu ledled Cymru drwy gyllid ar gyfer capasiti ychwanegol a'u hadolygiad o safonau mynediad.
Ychwanegodd Mr Rowlands:
Mae'n hawdd dweud bod gwaith ar y gweill i wella'r sefyllfa ond mae'r gostyngiad mewn meddygfeydd yn glec fawr i’n cymunedau ac rwy'n arbennig o bryderus am y sefyllfa yng Ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru.
Rydyn ni wedi mynd o system o feddygon teulu traddodiadol sy'n adnabod pobl, eu perthnasau a'u salwch, i senario lle mae gennym ni anialwch o ran meddygon teulu, gyda darpariaeth wael yn rhoi hyd yn oed mwy o straen ar y meddygfeydd sydd â’u drysau dal ar agor.
Rydyn ni hefyd yn gweld yr effaith ar ein prif ysbytai gyda chleifion yn cael eu gorfodi i fynd i'n hadrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys sydd eisoes wedi'u llethu oherwydd nad ydyn nhw'n gallu cael gweld eu meddyg teulu.
