CALLS for Wales' health minister to quit over a damning report into maternity services in a Welsh health board have been rebuffed.
Services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant and the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil have been placed into special measures after a review found a series of failings, including a lack of midwives and consultants, as well as concerns around how women who had lost babies were supported.
The review was set up following a series of serious incidents over a two-year period at the two hospitals, both run by the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board - including eight stillbirths and four deaths of newborn babies.
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Speaking during First Minister's Questions earlier today, Mark Drakeford said he recognised "something went seriously wrong".
But he rebuffed calls by Welsh Conservative leader Paul Davies to "take responsibility" over the crisis and by Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price to "not only ask your health minister (Vaughan Gething) to apologise to these families, but also to ask him to do the honourable thing, and to resign?"
Responding, Mr Drakeford said he stood by Mr Gething, who ran against him to succeed Carwyn Jones as first minister and Welsh Labour leader, saying it was only because he had ordered a review of the services that the failings had come to light.
"I don't believe myself that the terribly difficult days that those families have gone through and the very difficult day that they will go through today, that they look to a single individual as the way of resolving those difficulties," he said.
Speaking later in the afternoon Mr Gething promised to take immediate action, saying: "I will be stepping up to my responsibilities."
The report also found concerns expressed by patients at the hospitals were "not taken seriously" and staff felt were not listened to when they raised issues.
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