By Judith Phillips, Reporter
I KNOW this is becoming a favourite hobby horse of mine but when it comes to health care services it seems we in North Wales are somewhere near the bottom of the Assembly's list of priorities.
First we had the North Wales Hospitals Secondary Care Review which proposed cutting two vital services from Llandudno Hospital and closing St Asaph and Abergele hospitals.
Then health minister Edwina Hart came up with the bright idea that North Wales patients should travel to Cardiff or Swansea for non-emergency brain surgery.
Now she has awarded more money to a Newport hospice than to all three North Wales adult hospices put together.
Of course, Ms Hart will argue there are sound reasons for all these proposals and decisions, but to a born and bred North Walian like me it seems as though the so-called North/ South divide in Wales is an ever expanding reality rather than a figment or our imaginations.
For years we've had to put up with South Walians referring to us in a less than flattering way as "Gogs", short for Gogledd, and now it seems their actions are speaking louder than words.
I'd like to throw down a challenge to Ms Hart - come up with some facts and figures that show the Assembly really cares about the range and quality of health services in North Wales. Because otherwise I'm sure there will be others like me who can only conclude that unless you live in a South Wales constituency, your voice isn't heard.
What do you think? If you've got views on health services in North Wales we'd like to hear from you, and if you feel strongly enough about the issues I've outlined, lobby your local Assembly member, or better still write directly to Ms Hart at her office at the Senedd in Cardiff.
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