Lib Dems has attacked the AM for Torfaen over the planned new hospital for Cwmbran, saying her attitude was a disgrace.

Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said she was “staggered” to read a letter from Lynne Neagle that said recent developments on the Specialist Critical Care Centre were “hugely reassuring and very welcome”.

Ms Neagle welcomed the fact that the hospital appeared in all four options for hospital reconfiguration within the ‘South Wales Programme’.

However, work on the hospital – which has been fraught with delays – has been paused while the consultation on the controversial programme runs its course.

TheAMbit back, saying she had fought tooth and nail for the hospital.

“Week in and week out, Lynne Neagle, AM for Torfaen, stands up in the National Assembly chamber and preaches about decisions that are taken in Westminster,” said Ms Williams, saying Ms Neagle was elected to speak on Welsh Government matters.

“How many times have the readers of the Argus read comments from Lynne Neagle welcoming the great work by her Welsh Labour Government in announcing they are to build the specialist critical care centre? Yet where is this hospital?”

Ms Williams said Labour AMs were doing their constituents a “great disservice”

by letting the Welsh Labour Government off the hook.

Ms Neagle hit back, saying: “I’ll be taking no lectures from Welsh Lib Dems about letting constituents down.

“Unlike Kirsty Williams, I‘m in regular contact with both the health board and the health minister over the Specialist Critical Care Centre – indeed I’ve fought tooth and nail for this hospital over many years.

“As Kirsty herself well knows, the main reason for the hold-ups is that her party in government have slashed the Welsh capital budget in half – that’s why I was so pleased when NHS Wales and the Welsh Government confirmed this flagship hospital’s place in their capital programme.”