Wrexham patients to stage second protest over the “inadequate staffing of surgeries”

Concerned patients at surgeries across Wrexham will tomorrow stage another protest about inadequate staffing and the future of services set to be managed by the health board.

The protest, which has been organised by the Friends of Pen Y Maes, will take place outside The Guildhall at 10am on Wednesday 11th October where Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will be meeting with members of the council’s Safeguarding Communities & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee.

It will be the second protest to have taken place in the past month, with growing concerns from patients about staffing provision and the future of local surgeries due to be managed / are currently managed by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

In September a group of patients and campaigners staged a protest outside Wrexham Glyndwr University’s Catrin Finch Centre, calling on chief executive Gary Doherty to meet with representatives from Pen-y-Maes and Forge Road surgeries to discuss staffing concerns and the management of the two sites.

Along with questions about recruitment of new GPs and contracts, there were also calls for reassurance that appropriate management would be in place for Wrexham surgeries which are due to run by the health board in the coming months.

A poster created for tomorrow’s protest says: “Calling all Pen-y-Maes, Hillcrest, Beechley, Ruabon, Borras Park and Forge Road patients.

““We are all protesting against the inadequate staffing of our surgeries and surgeries set to become health board managed. Please turn up with banners and signs ‘Save Pen-y-Maes Health Centre/ Hillcrest/ Beechley/Ruabon/Borras Park/Forge Road (delete as applicable) and whatever else you deem necessary.

“Please keep it clean and concise, we want to be listened to, not branded as troublemakers.

“We are beginning at 10am on Wednesday 11th October at 10am outside The Guildhall. Please bring friends, family and neighbours. We need a huge turnout and we must all stand united to make the health board stand up and listen.

“Health board representatives are attending the Safeguarding Communities & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee meeting being eld there at 10:30am.

“We will not accept this anymore.”

Tomorrow’s council meeting is open to the public and will see senior members of the health board answer councillor questions on GP recruitment, infection rates at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital, GP out of Hours Services and the performance of Wrexham Maelor’s Emergency Department.

The meeting will begin at 10:30am and will also be webcast live on the Wrexham Council website for those unable to attend.

You can read our preview of tomorrow’s Safeguarding Communities & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee meeting here.