I feel a touch dispirited tonight, following a meeting in my Welshpool office this morning. The subject under discussion was the proposal to establish a renal dialysis unit at Welshpool. The meeting included the Chair of Kidney Foundation Wales, and the local hospital League of Friends who would probably be willing to help fund such a development. As our discussions developed, it seemed to me that we were no further forward than we were three years ago. Its enough to make anyone but the most dogged just give up and drink wine. But I just can't do that.
I don't know where the blockage lies. Is it the Minister? Personally, I think the current Health Minister, Edwina Hart, is effective and straight speaking. Perhaps its the civil service? Well, it could well be. There seems a conspiracy to prevent the release of any information that has the capacity to increase knowledge. Its the equivalent of nailing jelly to the wall and is enough to break the heart of the most committed volunteers.
Our conclusion this morning was that we need to establish a Renal Mid Wales Committee to create some noise. It will be necessary for this committee to operate under the auspices of Kidney Foundation Wales - because publicity and headlines in our newspapers, the County Times and Shropshire Star have no impact whatsoever on civil servants - probably because their Minister is unlikely to see anything that is not in the South Wales newspapers. Oh well, if that is what's to be done, better make a start on it tomorrow - but today has severely tested my belief that a renal dialysis unit will come to Welshpool anytime soon.
12 comments:
how is 'shropshire' star local to powys, unless the border moved recently.
Isn't Edwina Hart the "minister" who wanted to centralise all brain surgery in south wales? Most people north of swansea think she is a complete disaster.
Hi Glyn,
Frustrated ?
You should try a stint as a non-exec on your local Trust !
The problem you have is that your sense of urgency is not shown by those that can make the decisions.
That's certainly civil servants, but also NHS management.
The root of this problem is that there is no effective sanction. A failure to display urgency will not result in anyone losing their jobs.
BB
The Powys edition of the Shropshire Star is Montgomeryshire's evening paper - and a very good one at that.
I'm not sure of the details of the neurosurgery debate. I know there was a lot of publicity and public opposition to the idea that North Wales patients should have to travel to South Wales, which is of course an unacceptable proposal. But I don't know whether the Minister ever proposed to do such a thing - so cannot comment. In my dealings with Edwina Hart, I always found her to be direct and srtaightforward.
BB - I'm told that the Minister is prepared to ensure a few of the civil sevants do lose their jobs if they don't start delivering. No names though.
Glyn - I'm amazed you are not aware of the neurosurgery problem in any depth. This has been one of the biggest Welsh political issues of the past year. Edwina Hart was far from straightforward in her dealings over that and she has had to climb down pretty abjectly.
The neurosurgery issue did more to damage the reputation of the Assembly in North Wales than any other single matter.
Glyn- dwi eisiau gyrru neges breifat i ti
Sut mae gwneud hynny?
Mae gen i rhai cwestiynnau hoffe ni gofyn i ti am y Blaid Geidwadol
Diolch
Ben - I do know about the general position as you describe it, but to express a personal opinion, I would need to know what the Minsiter said and what she backed down from in some detail. I try never to comment by repeating someone else's opinion.
Tomos - Cysylltu a fi ar glyndavies8@btinternet.com
In other words Glyn 'engages brain instead of remouthing what someone else said'. Put another way, Glyn Davies is 'gosh darn it' one very good politician.
Another reason to VOTE GLYN DAVIES - the sensible politician.
"The neurosurgery issue did more to damage the reputation of the Assembly in North Wales than any other single matter."
Very true Ben, at times like this I wonder about our party.
David Jones up in the North was very vocal and firmly put his cards on the table as to where he stood on the issue.
The assembly is pretty much a non entity for many further North than Welshpool, and so it should be.
As for Hart, well she was on the rack up there with the issue.
I am not renewing my membership of the party when it comes up in October,29 years a member and the Assembly issue has buggered it for me.
Alfie - Not sure what point you make regarding the neurosurgery issue. As far as I know, every Conservative comment has been to strongly oppose any suggestion that North Wales sufferers should have to travel to South wales for treatment.
I really cannot understand your comment 'North of Welshpool'. You clearly do not realise the dgeree of alienation that exists a long way south of Welshpool. While you are rightly opposed to North wales patients having their traditional treatment paths interfered with, you can transfer that opposition to Montgomeryshire, where all of our elective treatment has traditionally been delivered in England.
So the answer is simple: stop the south Wales mafia controlling health care in Wales. Take it away from the assembly. Edwina Hart is a disgrace and I can't undertsand why she didn't resign.
Kidney Wales Foundation is supportive of helping kidney patients in Powys. A renal unit in Welshpool is a move in the right direction as patients should only take 30 mins to get to dialysis.
Let's get a Kidney Wales Foundation going in Powys.
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