AN OUTRAGED councillor has demanded answers from Betsi Cadwaladr over staff shortages which are said to be plaguing a new hospital development.

Tywyn Hospital underwent a £5million refurbishment recently before reopening its doors in 2016.

The new development included a new 16-bed ward but since its official opening, the hospital has only managed to staff 10 beds.

Cllr John Pughe is demanding that more should be done to fully utilise the hospital’s assets.

“We have a magnificent new hospital here in Tywyn which serves the area very well with excellent and dedicated staff,” he said.

“Yet here we are without enough of these staff.

“Did Betsi not think about staff when they planned to open this development? It ludicrous if they didn’t.

“I appreciate there’s NHS shortages across the country but we’re here for the good of Tywyn and we must try and ensure that Betsi Cadwaladr is doing everything they can to bring in staff."

Gwynedd councillor Anne Lloyd Jones, who was part of the project group that helped set up the new hospital committee, replied: “Funding is in place to bring in new staff but there’s a nursing crisis across not only north Wales but across the country - Abersoch has recently had to close down its surgery.

“Betsi Cadwaladr has advertised jobs and held open days but there just isn’t the uptake.”

Read the full story in today’s Meirionnydd edition of the Cambrian News