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Carwyn Jones backs Hywel Dda Health Board plan to cancel winter ops Carwyn Jones backs Hywel Dda Health Board plan to scale back winter ops
(35 minutes later)
First Minister Carwyn Jones has backed a health board's plan to halt some non-urgent surgery at four major hospitals in mid and west Wales over the winter. First Minister Carwyn Jones has backed a health board's plan to scale back some non-urgent surgery at mid and west Wales hospitals this winter.
Hywel Dda Local Health Board said it would not carry out some elective orthopaedic operations like hip and knee replacements while it dealt with increased pressure on services. Hywel Dda Local Health Board said it would not carry out certain elective orthopaedic operations while it dealt with increased pressure on services.
Mr Jones called the proposals sensible. Mr Jones called the proposals, at hospitals in Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Llanelli and Aberystwyth, sensible.
Hospitals in Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Llanelli and Aberystwyth are affected. Conservatives said Welsh ministers were "detached" from problems in the NHS.
The health board said if the plans were backed it would review its proposals at the West Wales General, Withybush, Prince Philip, Llanelli and Bronglais, Aberystwyth hospitals "towards the end of the winter surge".
The health board's plans include using theatres for those with the highest clinical need, increasing day surgery cases and a non-emergency surgical shutdown for two weeks over Christmas.
It also announced plans to maximise alternative non-surgical treatment methods and monitoring outpatients.
The health service union Unison has criticised the move saying it would result in longer delays for patients.The health service union Unison has criticised the move saying it would result in longer delays for patients.
But Mr Jones faced close questioning from each of the three other party leaders at First Minister's Question Time on Tuesday at the Senedd. Mr Jones faced close questioning from each of the three other party leaders at First Minister's Question Time on Tuesday at the Senedd.
'Planning ahead''Planning ahead'
They said it was unacceptable the health board was having to cut back on operations, meaning patients would face longer waiting times.They said it was unacceptable the health board was having to cut back on operations, meaning patients would face longer waiting times.
Mr Jones said it was wrong to talk in terms of cancelled operations and said the other parties would be willing to risk a lack of capacity and last minute postponements. Mr Jones said it was wrong to talk in terms of cancelled operations and accused the other parties of being willing to risk a lack of capacity and last minute postponements.
He said the health board was doing "precisely" what opposition parties had been calling for.
Mr Jones told Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood: "Hywel Dda is doing exactly what her party has called for - that is planning for winter pressures.Mr Jones told Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood: "Hywel Dda is doing exactly what her party has called for - that is planning for winter pressures.
"It is wholly wrong to say the health board is cancelling all non-urgent elective orthopaedic surgery."It is wholly wrong to say the health board is cancelling all non-urgent elective orthopaedic surgery.
"Those who've been scheduled to have orthopaedic surgery will receive it, all cancer, urgent trauma and day surgery work will continue.""Those who've been scheduled to have orthopaedic surgery will receive it, all cancer, urgent trauma and day surgery work will continue."
Mr Jones said the health board was "planning ahead". 'Level of outrage'
But in response Ms Wood said Hywel Dda had a waiting time of 15 months for orthopaedic surgery and she told the first minister to "take responsibility" for NHS delays.But in response Ms Wood said Hywel Dda had a waiting time of 15 months for orthopaedic surgery and she told the first minister to "take responsibility" for NHS delays.
"Are you aware of the level of outrage amongst clinicians at Hywel Dda, who've been told that they're having a third of their work taken away from them this winter?" she said.
Mr Jones told Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams he was informed about the health board's plans the day before it announced them.
Ms Williams replied: "It seems that you're not very clear about the LHBs plans for this winter, your government isn't very clear about the LHBs plans for this winter and the public and the clinicians, it seems, are not very clear either."
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies told Mr Jones this "again showed that your government is detached from the reality of what many patients and clinicians are experiencing within the Welsh NHS".
He accused the first minister of being "flippant" in the face of such serious proposals and warned of the dangers of a "crisis situation" developing over the next five months.
Mr Jones insisted that what Mr Davies was suggesting would actually cause a crisis situation.
The first minister told the opposition parties it was "just as well they're not running the health service in Wales."