DOCTORS claim unnecessary bureaucracy is keeping medical facilities at their surgery at Third World standards. Six overworked GPs at Abergele surgery in Kinmel Avenue have written a letter to First Minister for Wales, Rhodri Morgan, to protest at delays which have prevented them from moving premises. When Dr Jeremy Honeybun joined Abergele surgery in 1998, plans for relocating to a larger purpose-built site were already well underway. Of three possible sites near the town centre, one was developed into very sheltered accommodation, another was taken up by an extension to Tesco, and Conwy Council refused to sell the final site, located on park land. "It has no heating and no hot water at all," said Dr Honeybun in a letter to the Visitor. "We roast in summer and freeze in winter as there is little or no insulation in the building. There are two lavatories in the building shared by staff and patients which are inaccessible to the disabled. "The building fails to meet any form of regulation, be it building regulations, disability legislation, or anything else and is undoubtedly unfit for purpose. "It is a facility more in keeping with a Third World country than Wales in the 21st century." Doctors eventually decided to build on the newly developing North Wales Business Park on the very edge of Abergele. This is now the closest site to the centre of town where a purpose-built primary care centre can be located. Outline planning permission was granted three years ago with detailed consent following in October 2005. However, before building work could start, the Design Commission for Wales condemned the choice of the site as its distance encourages car use. The panel also thought the building should be rotated 90 degrees to get the best sunshine in the waiting room. The suggestion relies on a building on the adjacent plot, owned by another developer, being moved. Dr Honeybun told the Visitor: "We are just totally fed-up with this. We have been trying to move for 10 years now and we keep hitting wall after wall. We are battle-weary. We are working beyond full capacity and are depressed, disillusioned and demoralised." Darren Millar, AM for Clwyd West, has pledged his support to help the surgery. "It is a scandal that patients are suffering as a result of the meddling of pen-pushers who are remote from the people who will actually be using and working in the new facility," he said. "The views of patients and the GPs should not be ignored. Unfortunately this bureaucratic nightmare is typical of the NHS in Wales." "The people of Abergele can rest assured that I will seek urgent meetings with officials and the Welsh health minister, when appointed, in a bid to move this matter forward." | 
Article
