Health

Calls to declare health emergency in Wales narrowly rejected

Published

3 months ago

February 14, 2024

THE WELSH PARLIAMENT narrowly rejected calls to declare a health emergency due to the “existential threat” facing the NHS.

With the vote deadlocked at 26-26, Elin Jones – the Senedd’s speaker or Llywydd – used her casting vote against the Plaid Cymru motion in line with convention.

Mabon ap Gwynfor, the shadow health minister, urged the Welsh Government to recognise an unfolding emergency and bring the NHS “back from the brink”.

The Plaid Cymru MS warned that without a drastic course correction, the health service faces a highly uncertain future.

He said: “We have brought forward this debate today with one clear purpose: to try to convince the government we need to recognise the existential threat facing the NHS, which is so valuable to us, by declaring a health emergency in Wales.”

Mr Gwynfor, who represents Dwyfor Meirionnydd, pointed out that waiting lists have hit record highs in July, August, September and October.

‘Limbo’

He told the chamber that there are 582,000 people waiting for treatment – almost a fifth of Wales’ population, who are “stuck in this ever-expanding limbo zone”.

Turning to cancer services, Mr Gwynfor said only around 54% of patients started treatment within the recommended 62 days against a target of 75% which has never been met.

He added that ambulances spent a combined total of 22,000 hours parked outside hospitals waiting to drop off patients in December alone.

Mr Gwynfor quoted Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health minister at Westminster, as saying: “You would have to be living on Mars not to see the NHS is in an emergency.”

He urged Welsh Labour to “come back to earth and open their eyes to what is happening here on their watch”.

Pointing out that the Senedd was the first parliament in the world to declare a climate emergency, he urged Welsh ministers to do the same with health.

‘Collapse’

Russell George, the Conservatives’ shadow minister, raised concerns about a GP crisis, saying the number of patients per GP has risen by a third in less than a decade.

Mr George accused the Welsh Government of failing to sufficiently recruit, train and retain NHS staff more broadly than GPs.

He moved the Conservatives’ amendments, which urged the Welsh Government to develop a workforce plan and set a target to eliminate two-year waits by September.

The Montgomeryshire MS said: “The staffing crisis is so acute that we do need to act now to prevent the collapse of our NHS.

“Those aren’t my words, those are the words straight from the British Medical Association.”

Mr George told MSs that 25,000 people are waiting more than two years for treatment in Wales but in England and Scotland such waits have been virtually eliminated.

‘Miracles’

Huw Irranca-Davies recognised the challenges but said it must be balanced against the miracles being performed daily by the health service.

The Labour backbencher praised the “amazing” treatment he has received from the NHS, saying he has not experienced long delays.

The Ogmore MS, whose wife works in A&E, said: “It isn’t because, as somebody will say ‘well, you’re an MS, your name goes up the list’ – it isn’t that.

“The NHS treats me like any other citizen. It’s seen me, it’s seen me promptly and it’s getting me through the system as fast as it possibly can, and I’m having the best of service.”

Jane Dodds, the Lib Dems’ leader in Wales, focused her contribution on rural communities, calling for a rural GP premium to help with recruitment and retention.

Jane Dodds MS, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats

The Mid and West Wales MS warned that GPs are continuing to say they have had enough.

She raised a Royal College of GPs survey which found that one in four did not expect to be in their current role in five years’ time.

‘Crisis’

Eluned Morgan, Wales’ health minister, said: “I don’t accept there is a health emergency and I’m not really sure what we hope to achieve by declaring a health emergency.”

During the debate on February 7, she told the chamber that the Welsh Government has prioritised the NHS in the face of more than £1bn of real-terms cuts.

She said achieving performance targets has been difficult because demand has gone through the roof, with referrals increasing by 10% last year to 1.5 million.

Baroness Morgan pointed out that almost 300,000 people – about the population of Cardiff – are seen as out-patients every month by the Welsh NHS.

She said more than 2,500 people attend A&E and about 1,100 people call 999 every day.

The minister stressed: “I think the vast majority of these people would say that there is not a crisis. People fall over themselves to tell me how great their treatment has been….

“You’ve got to balance it. We’ve got to balance all of the criticism with the great work that is being done in the NHS.”

Health

High pollen counts forecast for Wales this week

Published

5 days ago

May 8, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CURRENT forecasts are for high pollen counts from today until Sunday across Wales, and airborne allergens expert has said. Max Wiseberg added: “This is not good news for hay fever sufferers across Wales. The main culprit is oak pollen which is now in peak season and there are some early grass pollens.”

Max continues, “However, better news is that, whilst there is no cure for hay fever, there are many measures and precautions you can take to help reduce the effects of the pollen. Although many hay fever sufferers find that nothing really works or that some remedies help, but nothing does the whole job, or what worked last year doesn’t work today, there is another way. A novel approach is to combine products for greater effect, and create your own ‘Hay Fever First Aid Kit’.”

“So if nothing works on its own, or your symptoms are particularly severe on a given day, create your own Hay Fever First Aid Kit, in other words use a combination of products, which can be complementary to one another. I suggest that your ideal Hay Fever First Aid Kit will consist of a prevention, such as HayMax organic drug-free allergen barrier balm, one (and only one) antihistamine, one (and only one) nasal spray, eye drops and one or more other natural products,”

Max goes on to explain how all the elements of a Hay Fever First Aid Kit work:

“The first thing is to avoid the pollen in the first place with an organic allergen barrier balm such as HayMax applied around the nostrils and bones of the eyes to help stop pollen getting in.”

“There are several forms of medication you can take that seek to reduce the effects of the pollen on the body.

Try an antihistamine, to counteract the effects of too many histamines, the body’s reaction to too much pollen; the most common are acrivastine, cetirizine, chlorphenamine, desloratadine, fexofenadine and loratadine.
Use a steroid nasal spray, which works by fighting inflammation and mucus production, helping clear nasal symptoms – itching, sneezing, watering and congestion.
Eye drops work in one of three ways; some stop the histamine release, some are anti-inflammatory and others block the inflammation caused by histamine.
There are several types of each, so if one doesn’t work particularly well or stops working, it’s worth trying another.”

“There are many other drug-free and natural products available for hay fever sufferers.

Quercetin is thought to limit the release of histamine; found naturally in many foods, it can also be taken in a capsule.
Butterbur is a herbal extract believed to have an antihistamine-like effect on hay fever symptoms and is available in capsules.
Immune boosting wellness formulae, such as Bee Prepared Daily Defence Immune Support which contains only all natural ingredients that help support the immune system, help the body fight the effects of the pollen.”

Community

Fresh pleas to save much-needed Pembroke Dock day centre

Published

6 days ago

May 7, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A PLEA to keep Pembroke Dock’s Anchorage Day Centre open is to be heard at a full meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council next week.

The Anchorage Day Care Centre in Pembroke Dock has been a “safe and happy place” for adults with learning difficulties and additional needs for decades.

In more recent years it has expanded to support elderly dementia sufferers.

But now the centre is expected to close, with services instead being offered elsewhere in the county, including Haverfordwest and Milford Haven.

A series of engagement events have taken place at The Anchorage recently, outlining the reasons and the options in continued service.

One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “One young woman who attends ran out of the first meeting sobbing when she was told it was going to close. Another, at the second meeting, tried to address the meeting but was so choked up at the thought of not seeing her friends anymore she could hardly speak.”

In a submitted question to be heard at the May 9 meeting, member of the public Peter Welsh will ask: “Is the council aware of the huge impact the impending closure of the Anchorage Adult Day-care Centre in Pembroke Dock is already having to the health and mental wellbeing of my daughter and 20 other vulnerable adults with special needs and learning difficulties, who are unable to cope with changes to routine, or to process and understand what is happening to them?

“And would the council, therefore, please review its closure decision and retain the centre and the vital and invaluable service it provides not only to the individuals concerned but also to the parents?

“If not, what specific measures does the cabinet member have in place to support my daughter and these other individuals who need extra assistance to enable them to maintain their independence, value and allow their carers to have valuable respite from their caring responsibilities and what are the estimated costs for these substitute measures?”

A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesman has previously said: “Following the engagement sessions held with families and service users regarding the future of the centre on April 10 and 17 at the Anchorage, families said that they would like to maintain the Anchorage Day Centre and explained that they would write to the council in order to ask for the decision to be overturned.

“People who attend the service will be offered alternative care, all service users are currently having their individual care needs assessed by social work teams to fully understand which other services best meet those care needs.”

An online e-petition, on the council’s own website has been launched calling for it to stay open.

Health

Chairman opens new NHS 111 Wales Service Centre in Haverfordwest

Published

1 week ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

IN a ceremonial occasion on Thursday (May 2), Thomas Baden Tudor, Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, inaugurated the new NHS 111 Wales service centre at Haverfordwest Ambulance Station. The event was marked by Mr. Tudor cutting the red ribbon, a task he was honoured to perform at the behest of Matthew Jones, Locality Manager of the Pembrokeshire Ambulance Service.

The NHS 111 service, which is accessible round the clock, offers urgent health advice and information about available services, including dental care and general medical guidance. This vital resource also provides support on managing illnesses and conditions and ensures continuity of care when GP offices are closed.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Tudor expressed his pride and privilege in participating in the launch, which underscores the community’s commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility. The new service centre is expected to play a pivotal role in providing prompt medical advice and support to the residents of Pembrokeshire.

The service is free and can be reached by dialling 111 from any phone, ensuring essential healthcare advice is just a call away.