Betsi Cadwaladr health board in North Wales has announced it will pause planned and emergency open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgeries to focus on improving other areas of care. This decision follows an “incident” but is not solely based on it, and other vascular services will continue as usual. Around 10 to 15 patients annually will need to travel to England for their surgery.
AAA surgery, which treats life-threatening swelling in the aorta, accounts for a small portion of the health board’s vascular services. The pause is part of an ongoing review to ensure safe service delivery. While AAA surgery is paused, patients will be referred to the Royal Stoke University Hospital. The service, which has faced scrutiny for patient safety concerns, was centralised to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in 2019, but challenges remain.
Given these changes and challenges, how can the health board ensure that patient care remains safe and accessible for those affected by the surgery pause?