{"id":687731,"date":"2026-07-12T14:11:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T14:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/687731\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T14:11:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T14:11:11","slug":"concerns-for-patients-after-closure-of-wrexham-detox-centre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/687731\/","title":{"rendered":"Concerns for patients after closure of Wrexham detox centre"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n The concerns were raised following the recent closure<\/a> of Hafan Wen, a 25-bed inpatient drug and alcohol detoxification unit based on the Wrexham Maelor Hospital site.\n<\/p>\n

\n It ceased operating as an NHS-funded detox centre at the end of June after 28 years.\n<\/p>\n

\n Adferiad, the organisation that ran Hafan Wen, has moved its services to Parkland Place in Llandudno – a new, expanded facility.\n<\/p>\n

\n However, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health<\/a> Board (BCUHB) was unable to recommission a replacement service for NHS patients.\n<\/p>\n

\n BCUHB has instead secured a temporary arrangement with Greater Manchester Mental Health<\/a> Trust’s Chapman Barker Unit to provide the service until March 2027.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"hafanThe Hafan Wen facility in Wrexham. (Image: Google Street View)\n<\/p>\n

\n Plaid Cymru’s Wrexham Senedd Member, Marc Jones, has questioned the decision, arguing that replacing a North Wales-based service with beds in Manchester raises concerns about accessibility, costs and Welsh-language provision.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI\u2019m deeply concerned at the decision to close Hafan Wen as an inpatient detoxification centre and replace the beds there with fewer beds based in Manchester,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cHow is this providing a better service for people in need of help in our region?\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI also want to understand whether BCUHB, which commissions this service, took into consideration the distance people will have to travel, whether there will be any Welsh-language provision and answer allegations that this will cost more.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cPlaid Cymru believes in local procurement and this decision appears to go against the health board\u2019s own appraisal that a North Wales-based service was the best option.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n \"marc\"\/Wrexham Senedd Member, Marc Jones. (Image: Plaid Cymru)\n<\/p>\n

\n Backing those concerns, a former member of staff and patient at Hafan Wen said it had provided far more than a detoxification service during its years of operation.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI wholeheartedly agree with the concerns raised by Marc Jones MS regarding the closure of Hafan Wen as an inpatient detoxification centre,\u201d they said.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cHafan Wen has provided an essential, specialist service for individuals across north Wales and beyond for many years. It has not simply offered inpatient detoxification; it has delivered a service rooted in Welsh communities, values and culture.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n They added that the facility’s ability to provide Welsh-language support and culturally appropriate care had been an important aspect of treatment and recovery.\n<\/p>\n

\n They questioned the decision to award the contract to an English-based provider, arguing that patients from north Wales could face greater challenges accessing treatment and maintaining support from family and friends.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cSending vulnerable people away from their families, communities and support networks to receive treatment in England raises serious concerns,\u201d they said.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cFamily involvement is often a vital part of recovery, yet longer travel distances will inevitably make visiting and maintaining those important relationships much more difficult.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Concerns were also raised about capacity and waiting times. The ex-staff member warned that if North Wales patients face longer waits for treatment, the move could increase pressure on other healthcare and substance misuse services.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cDelays in accessing inpatient detoxification can lead to worsening physical and mental health, increased crisis presentations and greater demand on NHS and community services,\u201d they said.\n<\/p>\n

\n Teresa Owen, BCUHB’s executive director of Allied Health Professions and Health Science, said: \u201cThe inpatient drug and alcohol detoxification service contract with Adferiad, at Hafan Wen, Wrexham, came to an end on June 30, this year. After retendering, we were unable to recommission this specialised service.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n She said the Chapman Barker Unit is \u201ca 36-bed inpatient unit for adults over the age of 18 who have an alcohol and\/or drug dependence and who require a medically managed admission\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Addressing concerns about access, Mrs Owen said patients would not face transport costs because the health board had reached an agreement with St John Ambulance to provide transport under the All-Wales conveyance contract.\n<\/p>\n

\n She also said the health board would work with the Manchester-based unit to support Welsh-speaking patients, including translating key patient information into Welsh.\n<\/p>\n

\n BCUHB said it is exploring longer-term solutions, including recommissioning the service or developing an in-house inpatient detoxification service.\n<\/p>\n

\n However, the former staff member said many questions remain unanswered.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cDecisions about specialist healthcare services should prioritise patient outcomes, accessibility, continuity of care and the unique needs of Welsh communities,\u201d they said.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI support the calls for BCUHB to fully explain its decision-making process, including how it assessed the impact on access to treatment, waiting times, Welsh-language provision, continuity of care, family involvement and overall health outcomes for the people of North Wales.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The concerns were raised following the recent closure of Hafan Wen, a 25-bed inpatient drug and alcohol detoxification…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":687732,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-687731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=687731"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687731\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/687732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=687731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=687731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=687731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}