HEALTH minister Edwina Hart is under growing pressure to decide whether a proposed £300 million specialist cricital care centre in Gwent willl go ahead - amid claims there is not enough cash to fund the project.
Following a request by Torfaen AM Lynne Neagle under the Freedom of Information Act for details on briefings to Mrs Hart, serious concerns are being raised about the affordability of the centre.
It is a project which potentially affects thousands of jobs, the care of thousands of patients and has been dogged by controvery with civic leaders in Newport demanding the centre be in the city, the most populous area in Gwent, rather than at Gwent Healthcare Trust's preferred site at Llanfrechfa Grange, Cwmbran.
That site was mooted as part of the £700 million Clinical Futures programme because it was one which provided the best average driving time from all parts of Gwent.
A briefing for Mrs Hart dated April 2008 said the All-Wales Capital Programme (AWCP) could not afford all its schemes, primarily the SCCC, and continuing work on it would be at the expense of other developments.
In May last year, another briefing describes funding as the "biggest issue" and the Trust was advised that the plans could not be recommended to the minster as it could not be afforded.
The following month, Mrs Hart was told that for 2009/10 and 2010/11, another £90 million and £139 million would be needed for the SCCC.
Ms Neagle said the Assembly now needs to be honest about its plans: "People here deserve the cutting edge modern healthcare that was promised - and we need urgent assurances from the Assembly that there will be funding to match the plans developed by the local health community."
South Wales East AM, Michael German, accused the minister of creating a smokescreen, calling for her to be up front and admit there was no money for the hospital: "She cannot play games with the people of Gwent.
"They deserve health facilities and services fir for the 21st century and they need to know when they will receive them. We need a clear yes or no and we need it now."
An Assembly spokesman said the minister was committed to improving health services in Gwent and while money was a factor, there were other concerns, including a lack "robust" evidence from Local Health Boards (LHBs) on how they would support the centre and develop community services.
Mrs Hart said: "It is appropriate that when investing large sums of public money, we have robust models of care and we take more time to get it right so that we spend our finite resources efficiently and effectively."
The Trust and LHBs in Gwent have been asked to review their proposals and the Trust was asked to submit plans for interim investment in Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital to improve facilities until work can begin on the SCCC.
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