Delayed plans to redevelop North Wales hospital branded a 'farce'
Betsi chiefs attended a council meeting in February where Denbighshire councillors were told to expect a planning application for an extension to the hospital between March and August. But despite it already being mid-July, a planning application is yet to be submitted, leading to several Denbighshire councillors calling for Betsi to attend a now-postponed September meeting to 'face the music'.
Originally planned as a project that would cost tens of millions, the new plans have been scaled back post pandemic, but the health board have said construction could start in the first quarter of 2026. Betsi is targeting Welsh Government funds, which are yet to be secured, with the new building planned as 'a third-sector hub' supporting patients, as well as having support services such as catering facilities, reception, and staff rest areas – with a café also to be part of the plans. S ign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox.
The health board say the plans will also include a bedded unit and minor injuries and ailments unit. But after his comments at last week's scrutiny committee, Rhyl Conservative councillor Brian Jones is claiming the Welsh Government is using the hospital as a 'cheap vote-winning trick'.
'Whilst any commencement of work to the Royal Alex is to be welcomed, I have to say the project that is on the table is a very poor shadow of the original project,' he said.
'A lot of local people are ex-health board employees. The whole thing is a farce. This is being used as a political stick to try and hoodwink the electorate that they are going to be building an extension in Rhyl and mirrors what happened at the last Senedd elections, whereby Betsi Cadwaladr was taken out of special measures just before the elections. It then went back into special measures, and it is still in special measures now.'
He added: 'If they turn up and come to the scrutiny meeting in October, the question will be raised: Is this a political move to try and push this new Rhyl development forward as what happened previous to the last elections? It appeared to be just a cheap vote-winning trick.'
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board's Central Integrated Health Community Director Gareth Evans responded to the criticism. 'We are in regular contact with Denbighshire County Council about the progress of the Royal Alexandra Hospital development,' he said.
'A contract has been awarded to design the new build element of the site, and a planning application will be submitted within the next month or so. We have repeatedly confirmed the new-build plans include a bedded unit and Minor Injuries and Ailments Unit (MIAU).
'The progression of the scheme is conditional on formal board approval, planning permission being granted, and Welsh Government approval of our full business case.
"We expect all elements to have been submitted by the end of the calendar year and, if successful, would hope to start construction in early 2026.
"Reparations and improvements to the existing Royal Alex site are planned to go ahead separately to the new build.'
A spokesman for Welsh Government added: 'We are awaiting a revised full business case for the Royal Alexandra Hospital to be submitted to us by the health board later this year. The scheme, if approved, would receive funding from the NHS All-Wales Capital Programme and Integration & Rebalancing Capital Fund (IRCF).'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Princess Anne opens garden in Sheffield spinal injuries unit
The Princess Royal has opened an accessible garden for patients at a spinal cord injuries unit to Anne attended the opening ceremony at the Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Centre, which is part of the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, outdoor space was developed by spinal injury charity Horatio's Garden, and was based on an award-winning design from the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show in charity's founder, Olivia Chapple, said: "It's an incredible feeling; seeing patients explore this garden for the first time was one of the most moving experiences." It is the eighth garden installed in a spinal injury unit by the charity since the first was opened in Chapple was inspired by her teenage son, Horatio Chapple, who had come up with the idea whilst volunteering at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury in died in 2011, aged 17, after he was killed by a polar bear on an expedition in Svalbard, Norway."He recognised that people really needed somewhere that was beautiful and natural to get away from the ward environment - he did the research and set up all the plans," Mrs Chapple said."It's about creating an environment that really enhances rehabilitation for people who are facing life-changing injuries and trauma, and giving them a space that feels like home." Nottingham-born actor George Robinson, an appeal ambassador for the project, called the garden "incredible".He was a patient at the spinal injuries unit for almost eight months in 2015, after suffering a severe spinal injury during a game of rugby when he was 17, which left him said: "When you spend so much time in hospital, you're focused on your physical rehabilitation, but as the days go by, you realise you also need that mental rehabilitation - sometimes that clinical environment isn't the best place for that."You can feel separated from the world, but a garden connects you back to it."He added the space would give patients a "sense of purpose" by taking part in activities such as gardening. Current patient James Hunter, who has a rare autoimmune disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome, said the five months he had spent in hospital had been "disconnecting"."The condition attacked my whole body, and the thing that's most affected currently is my arms, so I can't use a phone or reach out to people he said spaces like the garden "really help bring people together".He said he was planning on celebrating his birthday in the garden next week, and that it was "lovely" to join the opening ceremony."Long term, it's just a case of getting some fresh air when possible, weather depending, and keeping on with the recovery." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Thousands of Army soldiers may be suffering brain damage from blast of own weapons
Thousands of soldiers and veterans may be suffering from brain damage from firing heavy weapons, official studies have revealed. Defence chiefs have confirmed for the first time that machineguns and anti-tank weapons emit harmful blast waves which can cause traumatic injuries. Explosions create a wave of 'overpressure', a spike in the surrounding air pressure above normal atmospheric levels. The impulse can be so strong it penetrates the skull. Once inside the brain, the energy causes microscopic damage to blood vessels and neurons. Repeated exposure can overwhelm the brain's ability to heal itself, causing serious long-term neurological damage, according to researchers at the University of Birmingham. Symptoms of blast-related TBI overlap with those of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), making it difficult to diagnose. These may include: severe headaches, visual disturbances, sensitivity to noise and light, memory loss and a sense of personality change. Speaking to ITV, Lieutenant Colonel James Mitchell said: 'If we go back twenty years to the early Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns the perception was that we were seeing concussion and mild Traumatic Brain Injury predominantly from impact and exposure to substantial blast. 'Over especially the last five to ten years we are starting to appreciate the role of what we call 'low level blast', this is predominantly exposure of our service personnel to blast overpressure from our own weapon systems.' Lt Col Mitchell, a Royal Army Medical Service neurologist, added that while exact figures were not known, 'thousands' of serving personnel have been exposed to harmful blasts, with figures potentially even higher for veterans affected. Most at risk are those who have been repeatedly exposed to heavy weapons, including mortars, some shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons, 50-calibre rifles and machine guns, or explosive charges. The University of Birmingham is playing a key role in the mTBI Predict study in partnership with the Ministry of Defence. Neuroscientist Professor Lisa Hill said when the brain is damaged, it releases biomarkers, biological clues that can help scientists understand what and where the damage is happening. She said: 'If somebody gets injured, it changes the structure and function of the brain, but it also releases chemicals that you wouldn't normally see. 'So if we can measure things in blood or in their saliva, that can tell us how potentially bad their injury has been and what symptoms they might go on to get.' Professor Karen Mullinger, an expert in neuro-imaging at Nottingham University, is working to identify patterns of damage with sophisticated brain scanning technology called OPM MEG. Professor Mullinger also plans to study soldiers in real time, to see which activities are highest risk. She said: 'We can scan these soldiers before they go and do a training exercise and then immediately after, then we get a baseline which is specific to them. 'If the 'wire paths' have been damaged by blasts or whatever else it might be, then the function is going to change.' The information collected from these trials could shape policy, such as modifying the most damaging weapons or reducing blast exposure in training exercises. Last night, the MOD said: 'The health and wellbeing of our Armed Forces is critical and we provide specialist medical treatment for Traumatic Brain Injuries at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre. 'We know blast exposure causes physical change or injury in the brain that is only now becoming detectable and recognised with recent advances in the field, and we know there are alleged long-term effects of this exposure, but causation has not yet been shown and is the subject of much ongoing research. 'Using the latest research and advanced technology, the UK and our international partners are actively working on advancing the diagnosis, management and rehabilitation of patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. This includes over £4m in funding for the latest advanced research, which will help both military and civilian patients.'
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Sprains, strains and ACL tears: What to know about some of NFL players' most common injuries
Some of the most important players on NFL teams are those that might not necessarily start the season on the field. Depth is crucial during a rigorous 17-game regular-season schedule that's preceded by a month of training camp practices in hot conditions as players try to make team's 53-man active rosters. Injuries can play as big a role in an NFL team's successes or failures as the best game plans. So being able to navigate injuries and ailments to key players could make all the difference between a team seeing its season sink or making the playoffs. Here's a look at some of the most common injuries suffered by NFL players throughout the season: Achilles tendon tears The Achilles is the longest and strongest tendon in the body and stretches from the heel to the calf. It's a springy band located behind the ankle and just above the heel that helps players push off their feet, jump and accelerate. Due to overuse or excessive force placed on the tendon, it can tear or rupture. Surgery is typically necessary to reconnect the ends, sidelining a player for several months because of the extensive rehabilitation needed. ACL /PCL/MCL/LCL tears The anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate, medial collateral and lateral collateral ligaments are all located in the knee and serve different purposes. The ACL connects the thigh bone to the shin bone in the front of the knee. While a sprain could sideline a player for a few weeks, a tear can end a season. The PCL is located behind the ACL, crisscrossing it to form an "X" in the center of the knee. The MCL connects the thigh bone to the shin bone on the inner side of the knee, while the LCL connects the thigh bone to the top of the lower leg, or fibula, and is located on the outer side of the knee. Concussions A concussion is a brain injury caused by a hit to the head or a sudden movement that causes the head and brain to shake violently. Symptoms may include headaches, neck pain, nausea, dizziness and feeling sluggish. The NFL has been regularly testing and upgrading helmets for players to help reduce the risk of concussions. Eight position-specific helmets for quarterbacks and linemen were approved by the NFL and the NFL Players Association last year. Several players also have worn Guardian Caps, soft, protective helmet covers that the NFL authorized players to use during games last season in an effort to reduce head injuries. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is a degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions and can only be diagnosed posthumously. It can cause memory loss, depression and violent mood swings. Hamstring injuries The hamstring is a group of four muscles that run along the back of the thigh, stretching from the hip to the knee, and they help a person bend their leg at the knee. These injuries vary in severity, and in turn, their timetable in sidelining a player. A mild pull of one of the muscles, commonly referred to as a Grade I injury, can sideline a player for a few days to a couple of weeks and can be a lingering condition if not sufficiently rested and healed. A Grade II hamstring injury involves a partial tear, while a Grade III injury is a complete tear of the hamstring that could require surgery and is likely season-ending. High ankle sprains When a player suffers a high ankle sprain, the ligaments above the ankle — which connect the tibia to the fibula — are affected rather than the ligaments outside the ankle in a low ankle sprain. High ankle sprains take much longer to recover from — six to eight weeks, and sometimes longer — than a classic ankle sprain, which might sideline a player for several days to a couple of weeks. Hip pointers The injury could sideline a player for a week or a couple of months, depending on the severity. A hip pointer is bruising in the pelvis and abdomen area, usually caused by blunt force, such as a hard tackle. The bleeding can affect several other muscles in the area, making it difficult to run or even walk. Lisfranc injuries A serious foot injury that can be career-threatening because of its complexity. A Lisfranc sprain or fracture is an injury in the middle of the foot in which at least one (or sometimes, all) of the small bones (or metatarsals) is broken or the ligaments that support the foot in that area are torn. Even a minor sprain not requiring surgical repair could take six to eight weeks to heal. Meniscus tears The meniscus is a crescent-shaped rubbery disk of cartilage that serves as a shock absorber on the inside and outer edges of the knee. Both help a person balance weight across the knee. When a meniscus is torn, the knee can lock up and swell. A minor tear can be treated with rest, but a severe tear could require surgery that may sideline a player for several weeks or months. Oblique strains An oblique strain involves the muscles on the side of the body between the ribs and pelvis. This type of injury can occur when a player takes a hard hit to the waist area or from overuse or sudden use of the muscles — for instance, a quarterback throwing a pass or a defensive back turning to defend a receiver. Oblique strains are usually treated with rest and could take a few weeks to heal, or could become a lingering issue otherwise. Patellar tendon injuries The patellar tendon allows a person to straighten a leg by acting with the quadriceps. Technically, it's a ligament because it connects the kneecap to the shin bone. Complete tears or ruptures often need to be surgically sewn back together and recovery is typically at least four to six months. Plantar fasciitis An injury that affects the bottom of the foot and can lead to intense heel pain. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the ligament supporting the arch of the foot — the plantar fascia — is strained and worsens when small tears develop in the ligament. The injury can sap players of speed while they deal with it. Rest, icing of the arch and finding new footwear are among typical treatments. It can linger for months. Turf toe An extremely painful injury that can sideline players for months. It occurs when the ligaments under the joint of the big toe are sprained or ruptured as a result of the toe being hyperextended. The injury makes it extremely difficult to push off and cut while running. ___
