PATIENTS are facing prescription delays and having to travel out of town to see a GP after a surgery after it was taken over by North Wales’ health board, a councillor says.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) took over Rhuddlan Surgery on Vicarage Lane in the town after Dr Hazel Drury gave up the practice in March.

The board has four sites across the Prestatyn area, including what is now known as Healthy Rhuddlan Iach.

But Cllr Arwel Roberts says the surgery is now under “great stress” after a good start under the new regime.

He said: “The surgery has always been working with the local pharmacy on Rhuddlan’s High Street.

“The elderly residents of the town rely on this pharmacy and they are now being told they should wait for two and three days before they can receive their prescriptions because Prestatyn Iach, the new practice, has to check the prescription.”

Cllr Roberts also voiced his fears that staff working in Rhuddlan Iach were leaving their posts because of “working conditions and stress”.

He added: “I’m hearing that people have been told that, if they want to see a doctor, they should go to the surgery in Prestatyn.

“If that’s the case, then it’s unacceptable. Rhuddlan has a large population and many would find it difficult to access the surgery in Prestatyn.”

Cllr Ann Davies, chair of Denbigshire County Council, held what she described as a “positive” meeting with members of Healthy Rhuddlan Iach and Healthy Prestatyn Iach on Monday to address concerns.

Another meeting has been scheduled for February 2017.

Cllr Davies added: “Following concerns from residents, I called an urgent meeting with the health board an they kindly agreed to meet me.

“I am grateful to the health board for taking on the surgery in Rhuddlan.

“There are teething problems but these will be resovled in the New Year.”

Chris Stockport, central area medical director for BCUHB, said: “Our door is always open to staff who have concerns around their work, and we do everything we can to support our workforce.

“Prescriptions for patients at Healthy Rhuddlan are being temporarily processed at Healthy Prestatyn.

“This is an interim move as part of our internal audit processes.

“On site prescription processing is due to return to Rhuddlan in the new year.

We apologise if patients experience longer waits than they are used to, but stress that all prescriptions are being processed within timeframes set out by the UK general practice contract.”