"Surgical hubs"

The Royal College of Surgeons of England has called on the government to agree a ‘New Deal for Surgery’, commit an additional £1bn for surgery every year for the next five years and create ‘surgical hubs’ across the country to reduce the ‘colossal elective surgery backlog’. The College is urging every Integrated Care System (ICS) in England to identify at least one 'surgical hub' where planned surgery can continue safely if the country is hit again by COVID-19, a new variant or a severe seasonal flu/winter pressures.

I would suggest that a better solution would be to reverse the policy of closure of local hospitals - indeed, to create new establishments where routine treatments can be carried out, leaving central specialised units to deal with extraordinary procedures. An increased number of smaller hospitals would make it easier to recruit and retain nursing and ancillary staff. Hospital-acquired infections would be easier to control. 

And this would apply at least as much to Wales as to England.