MEMBERS of the Senedd in North Wales have called for an update on redevelopment plans for the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl.

Plans for a new North Denbighshire Community Hospital, on the former Royal Alexandra site, were revealed in 2013.

Proposals included community beds, a same day minor injuries and illness service, a treatment zone, outpatient therapy services, sexual health, community dental, radiology, adult psychology and mental health services.

The project has been beset by delay due to costs spiralling - the project remains frozen as it awaits Welsh Government approval and the allocation of funds.

After a meeting with the health board, Carolyn Thomas, MS for North Wales, 

Ms Thomas said: “The Royal Alexandra Hospital redevelopment cannot be completed without the allocation of funds, and for too long, the project has been unable to progress because of austerity and a lack of funding from central government.

“It is incredibly encouraging that the new UK Government’s Autumn Budget has brought with it an increase in funding, including £253m of extra capital funding for Wales.”

 “I am calling for some of this capital funding to now be allocated to kickstarting the Royal Alexandra Hospital redevelopment, to finally bring this much needed capital improvement to fruition.

“Many of us over the years, including Denbighshire County Council Leader Jason McLellan, Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care Elen Heaton, and local ward Councillor Barry Mellor, as well as the MP for Clwyd North, Gill German, have been lobbying hard for investment into the Royal Alexandra.

“I am hopeful that the Autumn Budget will now make the redevelopment a much-welcomed reality.”

It is understood that the health board are currently working on a fully costed business case, which will be finalised and presented to the Welsh Government next year.

Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has also made fresh calls for the delivery of the promised hospital.

In yesterday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Millar raised the matter with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Mark Drakeford MS.

He said: “One of the priorities that people in my constituency, and indeed the wider communities of Conwy and Denbighshire, want to see on your list is the delivery of a new community hospital for the people of north Denbighshire.

“It's long been promised, but there has been insufficient progress on the delivery of that promise.

“It's been 11 years since you made an announcement that there was going to be a new hospital with additional beds to take pressure off Glan Clwyd Hospital.

“Instead over the past 11 years we have witnessed increasing pressures on staff at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and longer wait times for patients, whilst seeing investment in a brand new hospital in South Wales.”