Hospital shake-up will cause distress to most patients

Yet another fait Accompli from the Universally Inept Health Board, and others.

Deja Vu this ain't !  It's serial Confidence Tricks on all patients and the apathetic public.
It's the NHS Wales silly season when our government chooses to insult our collective intelligence by pretending to consult us about changes that have already been agreed.  Legislation and quasi legislation will be ignored as the befuddled Community Health Councils present their well-rehearsed farce called Public Consultation, that is supposed to be over a period of 12 weeks.  Now, lasting only eight weeks - if you ever get to hear about them, that is - these public meetings will be held in hard-to-reach venues at incredibly inconvenient times.  Sadly, this year's circus-come-pantomime will be without the usual Master of Deceipt, Paul Hollard, who is hopefully leaving the health board forever.

Although we'll miss the infamous "Now you see it, Now you don't" slight-of-hand, you may be sure that Steve Allen and his bit-players will do their utmost to ensure that anything you have to say about the 'proposed' changes, will be completely ignored by the dumb-as-horse-shit council members and, ultimately, the health boards and their dictatorial Minister.

Fear not campers, most of the dirty work has been completed, by Dr Graham Shortland at a series of inconvenient meetings, attended by few patients, members of the public - and, of course me.  His main precept were that Neo-natal services would be better handled if centralised in Cardiff or somewhere in England.  In addition Paediatric services can't attract any doctors so they will suffer similar centralisation and rationalisation.  Then old 'short-hand' Shortland made us aware of the urgent need to reduce the number of A&E units in order to improve services for the benefit of cost-cutting and increased death rates.  Like the true master he is, Dr Shortland assured his audiences that all these changes were as a result of intense discussions between 300 Consultants ( who all managed to spare the time in order to meet each other for the first time - yeah right ).

So - grab your pencils and paper and rush to the nearest public meeting ! ( if you can find out where it is being held, of course ).  Your partner in ill health - R. W.