MOTHERS to be in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd are heaving a sigh of relief after a special report into temporary changes into women’s services at Ysbyty Gwynedd says they should be retained.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) have been consulting on the future of women’s services in north Wales which included the option of removing consultant-led care from Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.

The special report recommends all services at the maternity units at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Wrexham Hospital should be retained.

The health board is expected to make this announcement at a meeting on Tuesday, 8 December.

The decision to downgrade the maternity unit in Ysbyty Gwynedd was met by some fierce opposition and a petition set up by Plaid Cymru Arfon gained over 1,200 signatures.

Arfon MP Hywel Williams, who has been campaigning to keep the maternity services, said he welcomed the news.

He said: “This is a welcome u-turn and a testament to the hard-fought campaign co-ordinated by local people; their involvement in making the case to retain services at Ysbyty Gwynedd has been invaluable.

“At the end of the day, anyone looking at a map of north Wales can see the challenges any centralisation would have on families in the north west.

“We should however continue to keep an eye on developments so that the interests of those using services at Ysbyty Gwynedd are protected.”

Deputy Minister for Health, Vaughan Gething said: “We took clear and decisive action, on the advice of independent experts, to place the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in special measures. Following our intervention we are seeing real progress being made.

“One of the reasons for putting the health board into special measures was the need for the board to show tangible improvement in reconnecting with the public and become a listening organisation.

"The papers being published today are the result of a detailed, open and transparent consultation process with the people of north Wales and NHS staff. This is exactly the kind of progress we want to see.

“It is important to give people certainty on the temporary options. The recommendation for the health board shows that the current position is more stable than a number of months ago. While no final decision has been made, it is now for the board to consider and properly discuss the recommendations carefully when it agrees its response in its public board next week.

“Looking towards the future of maternity and paediatric services in north Wales, we remain committed to the SuRNICC and recently announced £1.4million of funding to develop the plans and a recruitment process is underway.

“We will continue to provide extra support under the special measures arrangements to help turn around the health board and regain the confidence of the people it serves.”