Sam Rowlands MS has highlighted problems with registering for a doctor in Flintshire in the Senedd

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Fflint Wrecsam, has raised concerns for residents in Saltney Ferry who are unable to register with a GP.

Mr Rowlands, Welsh Conservative spokesperson for Families, highlighted the lack of access to doctors during a debate on hospital services and hospital closures.

He said:

“When I speak to my constituents in Fflint Wrecsam about healthcare in Wales, they talk about access and waiting times. People tell me it's not working as it should.

“I have a group of residents in Saltney Ferry who can't even register with a GP, they're not covered by a GP practice. It's a strange anomaly. Many of those in that community are now having to access primary care in England because that availability is not there for them here in Wales. What we then see, if people can't access their GP, is that they're ending up at the A&E departments. They've got nowhere else to go.

“Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been in special measures for a decade now. Despite the efforts and professionalism of staff on the ground, people in North Wales have faced years of pressures on services, long waiting times and real difficulty accessing care when they need it.

“We are calling on the Welsh Government to provide clear, long-term stability for our local healthcare network, specifically asking for that definitive commitment that rules out any further hospital closures or the downgrading of services. On this, I speak for the constituents of Fflint Wrecsam.”

People living in Ewart Street and North Street in Saltney Ferry first contacted Mr Rowlands in 2024 about the issue and he raised the matter with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

He added:

“I understood that this had been resolved but now two years down the line my constituents are still struggling to find a doctor who will accept them as patients.

“It is very sad and worrying situation for people who are experiencing difficulties registering with what should be their local doctor’s practice because they don’t fall in a GP’s catchment area.

“It is simply not acceptable that people living in Wales find themselves having to access primary care across the border in England.”

Pictured - Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Fflint Wrecsam.