CAMPAIGN groups fighting a last-ditch battle for local facilities are meeting with a health watchdog.
Representatives from the Betsi Cadwaladr Community Health Council are in an ongoing series of meetings with community groups fighting health changes in Flintshire, Wrexham and across North Wales.
The CHC came under fire earlier this month when it decided not to refer controversial plans by the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board to Leslie Griffiths, AM and health minister for Wales.
These changes included the closure of the minor injuries units and beds at Flint, Llangollen and Blaenau Ffestiniog community hospitals and the transfer of high-level neonatal care facilities from the Maelor and Glan Clwyd hospitals to Arrowe Park, Wirral.
Pat Billingham, the CHC’s chief officer, said: “We are happy to talk directly to people about the issues and how we reached the decisions we did. There was no doubting the strength of feeling at all of the meetings, but people seemed pleased to know more about the questions we had put to the health board and the answers we had been given.
“It gave people the chance to ask detailed questions about the proposals and discuss the things that concerned them most. It was also very good to see town and county councillors in the audience.”
Mrs Billingham said local people questioned the CHC closely on these and other issues.
She added: "Thanks to the campaign groups and the organisers of other meetings many important points were raised and debated in public – and that can only be a good thing.”