THE Hwyel Dda NHS Trust has hit back after a west Wales AM accused it of “failing to get its act together with recruitment and staff retention.”

Alun Davies, AM for mid and west Wales, said it “beggars belief” that the Trust is facing a recruitment shortage after receiving an “£11million bail-out from the Assembly”.

The Labour AM added: “The whole point of the new, larger Trust was to make management more effective. A larger Trust is clearly going to be more attractive to prospective clinicians, with better opportunities for career advancement, clinical networking and modern practices.

“I am extremely concerned that the Trust has been unable to recruit, and as a result is contemplating cutting services. We do not seem to be seeing problems on this scale in other Welsh Trusts, some of which are rural too.”

But Mr Davies’ comments drew a strong response from Trust medical director, Dr Alan Axford.

He said he was disappointed that Mr Davies had gone public before allowing the Trust to provide “accurate information”.

Dr Axford said the Trust was doing all it could to address the recruitment issue. Vacancies have already reduced from 66 to 58, with further interviews taking place.

Dr Axford underlined that the shortage is an issue being faced by NHS Trusts across Wales.

“Recruitment of junior doctors is managed centrally by the Welsh Deanery and not individual Trusts,” he added.

“Unfortunately, a number of posts have been returned from the Deanery unfilled due to the national shortage in junior doctors.”

New immigration laws and the incoming working time directive had had an impact on doctor numbers, but Dr Axford said that funding was not a contributory factor.

The Trust said that where it has had control over recruitment, it has had some notable successes, including attracting a highly regarded gastroenterologist from a teaching hospital in London.

Dr Axford added: “Unfortunately, the national recruitment problem does put significant pressure on Hywel Dda NHS Trust.

“It is a rural Trust with several relatively small, acute hospitals and this means that staff shortages have a greater impact on us as we have less flexibility.

“We will continue with our efforts to fill the remaining vacant posts but will also establish contingency plans should the number of doctors available reduce to an unacceptably low number.

“In all circumstances, patient safety will be our primary concern.”

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