As we moved into the last week of plenary before the summer recess, the Labour Government slipped out a statement that could have significant repercussions in the Gwent area.

The statement concerned the centralisation of vascular services in an area covering Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board as well as parts of Powys.

Vascular diseases cover any condition that impact upon the blood vessels known as the circulatory system. Procedures are usually undertaken to reduce the risk of sudden death, prevent stroke or lessen the risk of amputation.

In a statement authored by the Health Minister, Eluned Morgan MS, it was announced that vascular procedures will be performed at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff within a week.

This decision, in principle, does have its merits. As the Minister’s statement highlighted, there is expert medical opinion from the likes of the Royal Surgical Colleges and The Vascular Society of Great Britain & Ireland, that a centralised service is ‘desirable.’ However, my concern is that the Labour Government’s track record on centralising health services – particularly vascular services – is questionable at best.

Vascular services were centralised within Betsi Cadwaladr University Health which covers the north of Wales. The results of this have been disastrous and led to my Plaid Cymru colleague, Rhun ap Iorwerth, calling for the Government to put the health board’s vascular services into special measures.

These calls followed a damning report from Royal College investigators which highlighted an appalling lack of communication, poor record keeping and numerous treatments – including amputation – that should not have been given. Rhun described the report as “scandalous, heart-breaking and utterly damning.”

Anyone who reads the report would find it hard to disagree with that assessment.

It is therefore disappointing that this Labour Government announcement has not allowed for much scrutiny or debate. It has been presented as a done deal that will implemented imminently. Given how the centralisation of other services has gone at The Grange hospital in Cwmbran, many people will share Plaid Cymru’s caution at the changes.

Given there is little opportunity to challenge this decision, we can only hope that lessons have been learnt from the calamitous centralisation of vascular services in the north of Wales. Plaid Cymru will be closely monitoring the situation in the coming weeks and months.