Accepted a last minute invitation to attend a reception in the River Room in the House of Lords yesterday. It was a reception to celebrate 40 years of Kidney Wales Foundation. And a very nice do it was too. Had a good chat with fellow guest, Plaid MP, Adam Price who seems not to have taken offence at my post about misuse of the 'Communication Allowance'. That's one trouble with blogging. Post something critical, and up pops the subject next time I go out.
Anyway, I want to post about the Chairman's speech. Certainly not to be critical of Roy Thomas, a good man who so kindly invited me. In any case, he was simply reflecting the reality of today's politics, where Mid Wales has grown so far away from the consciousness of Welsh Government. Roy outlined his pleasure at increased renal dialysis provision in Cardiff - and spoke hopefully of more provision in Haverfordwest. If it hadn't been for the grandness of the place and celebration of the occasion, I would have shouted out "What about Mid Wales". We've been waiting for years for a 6 unit satellite renal dialysis in Welshpool. The location is decided. The feasibility study has been completed. The local hospital's League of Friends has raised a lot of money. I suspect that the problem is that the unit would be a satellite of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in England. The Offa's Dyke (or Berlin Wall) syndrome strikes again.
I know that I lost my position in the National Assembly last May, but I cannot leave this lie. It just isn't fair. The Assembly is supposed to serve all of Wales - including Mid Wales. I desperately need to have a discussion with the Chair of Kidney Foundation Wales.
4 comments:
Glyn I hear what you're saying but to be fair to Roy he mentioned Haverfordwest specifically because the announcement made by Mrs Hart was specific in its reference to there:
"Work is already underway to open a new dialysis facility in Carmarthen in the new year. I will have a business plan for a linked dialysis service in Pembrokeshire in December. Other areas identified as priorities for additional dialysis facilities are north Gwent, Baglan, Powys, south Gwynedd and Deeside, and I look forward to seeing the business cases for those developments make progress over the next three years. "
You will notice I have emboldened Powys though from the list of additional priority areas. Perhaps there was more to smile about than at first there seemed?
Daran
(can't get my blogger identity to work so blogging anonymously - should I blame this on Alastair Darling?)
Daran - Last thing I wanted to do was be critical of Roy. And of course I hadn't seen anything of Edwina Hart's announcement. I suppose that it was just an oppoprtunity to comment. Its useful to learn that Powys got a mention - but this has been going on for years. I think the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospitals trust have almost given up on a project that was expected to be up and running a year ago - attention for satellite units for the overcrowded Shrewsbury 'hub' is now focussed on Telford. The Assembly Government (via Health Commission Wales) simply hasn't delivered - and people are getting to believe never will!! Perhaps you don't realise how disconnected with the Assembly the people of Montgomeryshire feel. and its not just health facilities either. We feel that Mid Wales might as well be on Mars for all the attention it gets
Glyn. You're right. Yet another Cardiff-centric attitude to Wales. Mid Wales fails to exist on most politicos radars and a lot of NGO and charities even forget about this rather large and important part of Wales. At least the television weather presenters realise we exist!
At least the Wales Kidney Foundation made contact in response to my post. Thay are keen to help. At least somebody cares!!
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