PLAID Cymru politicians have indicated that their campaign to secure essential vascular services at Ysbyty Gwynedd has been successful.

Emergency and in-patient vascular care are set to continue at Bangor, despite earlier concerns from the party that Betsi Cadwaladr wished to centralise the service away from Ysbyty Gwynedd.

Both Siân Gwenllian AM and Hywel Williams MP backed local campaigners who claimed the essential service was in jeopardy and that the drift of services eastwards from Ysbyty Gwynedd had to be halted.

A petition was launched and the issue was raised by both Ms Gwenllian in the Senedd and Mr Williams during Prime Minister’s Questions in Westminster.

Ms Gwenllian said she was confident that recommendations about the future of the service will soon be endorsed by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

The recommendations state that Ysbyty Gwynedd will continue to provide vascular outpatient clinics, pre-operative assessment, diagnostics, and day case surgery including vascular access for patients requiring haemodialysis and the hospital will have full support for emergency patients and in-patients.

Whilst building upon and protecting the excellent lower limb services already provided from Ysbyty Gwynedd, patients with diseases of the lower limbs will be managed at both Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and the limb salvage centre at Ysbyty Gwynedd; with provision for elective and emergency admissions and in-patient treatments at both sites.

Specialist diabetic foot and leg ulcer services based at Ysbyty Gwynedd will expand further to include a network of clinics serving the whole of north Wales. Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan, will be the single centre for the major radiological and surgical interventions for patients with carotid and abdominal aortic aneurysm disease.

Ms Gwenllian said: "This is fantastic news for north-west Wales and shows how important it was to campaign vigorously to retain the world renowned vascular service in Ysbyty Gwynedd."See this week's north editions for the full story, in shops and online on Thursday