The fight to restore vital services at Tywyn Hospital continues, with public meetings, a petition and a discussion in the Senedd.

The temporary closure of the hospital’s inpatient ward shocked Tywyn resident Jane Barraclough. Hoping to see the ward reopened soon, Jane organised a public meeting, which took place at the town library on Thursday, 20 April, to see what could be done.

“There were lots of people there and lots of comments,” said Jane.

One of the people who attended the meeting was Elizabeth, daughter of the late councillor, Morgan Vaughan.

“Elizabeth, Morgan Vaughan’s daughter, signed the first of our paper-based petition [as seen right],” said Jane, who has put together a petition to reinstate services at Tywyn Hospital.

“This is a symbolic signing because Morgan Vaughan fought tirelessly for a new modern hospital to be built for the people of Tywyn.

“He made sure that it was spacious, contained the most up-to-date equipment and facilities, was fully accessible with specialist baths, piped oxygen to each bed, TVs and headphones for each bed, and everything else expected for a local hospital in the 21st century.

“He also expected it to be fully staffed and operational providing superb care for our community. It was the highlight of his service to our community as a councillor, who focused on what people needed and deserved.”

Elizabeth said: “My father believed passionately in looking after local services in his community. When he decided he was going to fight for something, he would stick at it and would never give up.

“He always said what he felt and being totally honest was important to him. He felt great loyalty towards the people of this community and that is why people thought so much of him and remember him now.

“He fought tirelessly for the modernisation of Tywyn hospital, to ensure it had a future. He would phone hospital staff regularly, asking how many beds they had and so forth, as he believed in getting information from people directly.

“I’m proud to have had him as my father.”

The temporary closure of the hospital ward has also been raised in the Senedd, along with the closure in recent years of the hospital’s Minor Injuries Unit (MIU).

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MS Mabon ap Gwynfor called on the First Minister to set out how the Welsh Government will support pressing efforts to recruit nurses to enable the safe reopening of the inpatient ward.

Mr ap Gwynfor and MP Liz Saville Roberts have also met with health board bosses to seek urgent assu­rances on the immediate and long-term provision of care at Tywyn Hospital.

The reopening of the inpatient ward and MIU is dependent on the recruitment of eight registered nurses. Since a £5 million investment in 2013, the community hospital has lost its maternity services, MIU and inpatient ward.

The politicians, along with councillors in south Meirionnydd have urged the health board to provide a clear timetable for the reopening of both wards and sought clarity as how the vacant nursing positions will be advertised.

Raising the matter with the First Minister, Mr ap Gwynfor said: “Back in 2013 the then Health Minister, our current First Minister, welcomed a £5m investment to Tywyn Community Hospital. Announcing the investment, he said, ‘an increase in bed numbers and the integration of several services here will enable more people to be cared for closer to home in an environment which is fit for purpose’.

“A decade on and things have taken a dramatic turn for the worse. The Maternity Unit has been closed, the MIU has been closed, and only two weeks ago and without notice, the inpatient ward was closed – we are told temporarily. These were the very services exalted by the First Minister back in 2013.

“This series of closures are largely the consequence of a failure to retain and recruit staff – particularly nurses. What we’re seeing in Tywyn will be repeated elsewhere soon.

“To reopen the inpatient ward, we need four nurses on Bands 6 and 7 and another four to reopen the MIU.

”What steps is the government taking to support the health board to recruit nurses to Tywyn and north Wales so that my constituents can be cared for closer to home and in an environment which is fit for purpose?”

Mrs Saville Roberts added: “We recently met BCUHB to convey our concerns at the abrupt manner in which this decision was communicated and to seek firm assurances that urgent steps are being taken to fulfil the staffing shortage and safely reopen the ward.

“BCUHB officials agreed to our demand for a clear timetable for the reopening of both the inpatient ward and the MIU, including a detailed brief of the health board’s strategy to recruit nursing staff and how these jobs will be advertised.”

Regular fortnightly meetings will be held with BCUHB officials (the next one this week) to enable us to update residents of the area served by Ysbyty Tywyn. The people of Tywyn and Bro Dysynni deserve nothing less.”