County council sets 2% budget

* County Hall in Ruthin where the budget was agreed. Denbighshire County Council has set its 2013/14 budget at 2%. The authority says it has agreed the budget against a backdrop of a poorer than expected financial settlement from Welsh Government.  Capital funding from Cardiff has been cut by 15% to £4.9 million, which came on top of the 27% already cut over the past two years.  The council has also identified over £3 million in further savings over the next year while investing in education and social services.  A further £1m of extra funding will go into the Corporate Plan priorities over the next year - modernising education, highways, the economy, social care and the council itself. Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance and Assets, said: "We have created a budget that protects education and social care and we have increased funding to these areas to the tune of £2.1m.  "We have already cut around £14 million from budgets over the years and we are proud of the fact that we have been able to protect frontline services.  "While the outlook for public finances is poor, it is extremely important that we provide residents with below inflation tax rises in these difficult times and we have consistently worked to keep council tax as low as possible as that is what residents have told us they want to see happening." Mohammed Mehmet, Chief Executive of Denbighshire, said: "As a council we want to protect those services that are important to people and this budget achieves this while keeping the council tax increase as low as possible and making £3m efficiencies. "The council has a strong track record of delivering savings by finding better ways of doing things. We are reducing the amount of days loss to sickness; we are scrutinising our contracts to ensure better value for money and we are being more competitive in the way in which we buy in services."

Further information on the budget will be included in Your Money, the definitive guide to council tax which will be delivered with council tax bills to properties in March.

Good progress being made on Slow Food plan

Enquiries are coming in fast from businesses interested in finding out more about starting a Slow Food group in Llangollen.

In the past few weeks over 50 shops, restaurants, pubs and other firms have been invited to help with the initiative, which is being planned as part of the town’s bid to achieve Cittaslow status.

Slow Food is an international organisation that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment by promoting local, seasonal produce and reconnecting people with where their food comes from.

It is a not-for-profit movement in which local groups, run by volunteers, organise a variety of events alongside local food and drink producers and chefs.

Members of the Cittaslow bid team have been distributing leaflets and putting up posters across the area giving people more details about Slow Food and giving them the opportunity to make an enquiry about helping set up a local group.

At the latest monthly Cittaslow group meeting at the Town Hall on Tuesday evening, members were brought up to date on how the scheme is progressing by Sal Jefford who is spearheading it.

She said that as a result of the publicity drive, a number of enquiries had come in.

A minimum of 10 are needed to start a group, so she encouraged more businesses to get involved.

• If you are interested in learning more about how you can help, or would like to be kept informed of our progress, e-mail slowfoodllangollen@gmail.com, or phone or text Sal on 07786 623802.

Organisers also want to hear from anyone in Llangollen who is already a member of Slow Food UK.

Gill Thomas then updated members on the good progress she is making in compiling a local crafts and products directory.

This, she explained, aimed to include people with traditional crafts and product businesses within a 20-mile radius of the centre of Lllangollen.

So far, she had added 33 such businesses to the list, including ones as diverse as a coracle maker and a Welsh flannel weaver.

She is seeking many more to add to the growing list and invited anyone interested in being included to contact her via this website.

Gill, who already successfully runs the weekly country markets in Llangollen Town Hall, then put forward a suggestion for the revival of regular local farmers’ markets.

Members discussed this and came up with a number of possible locations in the town centre, which would now be investigated.   

Police appeal over stolen sheep

Police are appealing for information after a number of sheep were stolen from the Glyndyfrdwy area.

Sometime between January 31^st and last week, unknown offenders took 21 sheep and three rams from a secure field.

The sheep, which are a Chivot Cross, with two of Chivot rams and another a Texel ram, all have a blue mark on their backs. All the sheep, except the rams, have also been ear marked in the corner of their right ear.

Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen a strange vehicle in the area or anyone acting suspiciously in the vicinity to contact Investigation Support Team on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Minister is able to intervene in health plans

A cross-party group of Assembly Members has welcomed confirmation that the Welsh Health Minister is able to intervene in controversial plans to relocate long-term neonatal care services from hospitals in North Wales to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral.

During health questions in the Senedd today, Health Minister Lesley Griffiths confirmed that she is able to intervene in spite of a decision by the Betsi Cadwaladr Community Health Council’s Executive Committee last week not to formally object to the proposals.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board bosses gave the green light to move forward with the plans at a special meeting in January in spite of widespread opposition from the public. The British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives have also expressed their opposition to the plans.

North Wales Regional AMs Llyr Huws Gruffydd and Aled Roberts together with Clwyd West AM Darren Millar and Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jonesare opposed to the proposed switch.

The AMs said: “This is welcome news indeed and will reassure many people across North Wales worried about the future of baby care services in the region.

“We are pleased that the Minister has confirmed that she is actively considering the representations that have been made by members of the public and the evidence provided by clinicians. Having listened to our constituents and the arguments of clinicians, we know how persuasive the case is for retaining neonatal intensives care services in North Wales.”

They added: “As the organisation which is supposed to be the voice of patients in North Wales, we urge the Community Health Council to reconsider its position on this matter and refer the Health Board’s decisions to the Minister.

“In the event that the Community Health Council fails to refer this matter, then we will be calling upon the Minister to use her powers to intervene.”

The AMs also understand that the Community Health Council now has until the 11th March to decide whether to refer matters to the Minister. This follows a request by the watchdog for a 10-day extension to the decision timetable.

Council warns CHC over health changes

Councillors in Denbighshire will declare a vote of no confidence in the Community Health Council (CHC)E xecutive Board if it does not refer issues of concern to the Welsh Government Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths, by the March deadline .
Following a lengthy debate at a special meeting of the Full Council today members agreed to hold off from a vote of no confidence if the CHC agrees to refer two main areas of concern to the Minister, namely transition arrangements while new facilities are built and guarantees that capital funding will be in place for the new facilities, such as a primary care resource centre for Llangollen.

The moves come after a delegation of ten members met with senior health officials, including BCU Chief Executive, Mary Burrows on 8 February to discuss their concerns about the proposed changes to healthcare provision as part of the BCU consultation 'Healthcare in North Wales is Changing'.

Members discussed a range of concerns, which included a lack of guarantees coming forward from Welsh Government on capital funding and the provision of services throughout the transition period, transport implications and the future designation of Ysbyty Glan Clwyd as a district general hospital with specialist functions.
Other concerns included the potential for 'cost shunting' as more care is provided for people in the community which would inevitably impact on social care costs and plans for neonatal care for the most vulnerable babies to be provided at Arrowe Park over the border in England.

Cabinet Lead Member for health and social care, Councillor Bobby Feeley, said: "It is fair to say this consultation has been one of poor processes, misinformation and mishandling but we must We must continue to strive to get the best deal for the residents of Denbighshire.

"I fully understand the frustration of members, I feel the same, and we have seen by the way the Council has voted, we must do all we can to protect the interests of our residents.

"The CHC is the patient's watchdog but, clearly, we do not feel that the patient's interests are being best served by the proposals put forward by Betsi Cadwaladr University Healthboard. As the CHC is the only statutory body that can refer the issues to the Minister, that is where we must bring pressure to bear before taking the last step of a vote of no confidence in the CHC Executive Board."
At the end of the debate, members agreed to use the already established County Health and Social Care Forum as a mechanism to ensure continued dialogue and reporting back between Denbighshire and BCU. Members also noted progress made with respect to reassurances on the future of Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, and an agreement to work with public authorities to develop a transport plan.
Work will now begin on modelling the financial consequences of the proposed changes on the Council, especially Enhanced Care Services and Services for carers.

Ambulances perform well in county figures show

Welsh Government figures for last December show that ambulances operating in Denbighshire were amongst the best performing in Wales, attending 66.8% of emergency calls within eight minutes.

This compares favourably to the all-Wales average of 56%, is better than the target figure for unitary authority areas of 60%  and also exceeds the Wales-wide target of 65%.

Worst performing unitary authority area in the country was Rhondda Cynon Taf with just 43.5%.

Ambulances operating within the much wider Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area – which also includes Llangollen – reached 62% of cases within eight minutes compared to the target figure for health board areas of 60%.  

The figures show generally that ambulance responses to immediately life-threatening (category A) calls in Wales were missed for the eight successive month in January.

Figures published today show ambulances arrived on time in a little over 8,500 separate category A cases. There were more than 14,600 in all.

The Welsh Government’s statistics service highlights snow as a factor during January. The last time the 65 per cent category A target was met was in May last year.

The figures have been published on the day of a Welsh Conservative debate on the ambulance service in the National Assembly.

The group is calling on the government to:

• Increase the number of emergency ambulances operating in Wales.
• Ensure that Wales has an adequate network of ambulance stations across the country.
• Provide an assurance that the on-going Ministerial review of the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust will deliver improved response times.

A recent freedom of information response – obtained by the Welsh Conservatives – details the number of times ambulances arrived at a scene over one hour after an initial 999 call (identified as ‘category A’) was made. The target time is eight minutes.

 

Examples include:

• Overdose/poisoning in Rhondda Cynon Taf (one hour two minutes)
• Breathing problems in Vale of Glamorgan (one hour three minutes)
• Animal bites/attacks in Neath (one hour seventeen minutes)
• Assault/Sexual Assault in Neath (one hour eighteen minutes)
• Stab/Gunshot/Penetrating Trauma in Blaenau Gwent (one hour 59 minutes)
• Stroke – Cva in Rhondda Cynon Taf (two hours 36 minutes

Last month Welsh Conservatives revealed the number of ambulances in Wales had dropped from 256 to 244, while the number of ambulance stations had also decreased. Seven have been closed so far during 2012/13 (Queensferry, Flint, Mold, Reynoldston, Monmouth, Dolgellau and Maesteg). Just four had shut their doors in the previous four years.

Shadow Minister for Health Darren Millar AM will lead today’s debate.

 

He said: “Very little has changed in our ambulance service and patients can rightly be forgiven a sense of déjà vu.

“Despite the hard work of frontline staff, waits are still too long, targets mean little, and service performance lags behind other parts of the UK.

“Every minute lost can harm the chance of a patient’s recovery, potentially costing lives, and causing distress to everyone involved.

“The closure of local services is only adding to the pressure on staff and it’s vital that unnecessary NHS reorganisation is properly considered in the current review.

“Labour’s record-breaking NHS budget cuts have resulted in inappropriate reform, hold-ups in A and E, and the potential for far longer waits in the future.

“We need reassurances that the current ambulance service review will result in the real changes that are needed and the excellent service Wales deserves.”

Campaigner's letter on health service changes

Local campaigner MARTIN CRUMPTON has sent in this letter regarding health service changes in the area:

 

Second Class NHS for North Wales?

 

Betsi Cadwaladr Community Health Council decided to back the health board’s cuts, resulting in the closure of four community hospitals and centralising facilities like minor injury units, despite overwhelming opposition from patients and health care professionals who wanted it referred to the Minister.

 

Meanwhile, the Hywel Dda community health council have referred the same issues for their area to Lesley Griffiths, the Health Minister.

 

She now has a dilemma:

 

If she upholds Hywel Dda’s objection but doesn’t apply the decision nationally, she will create a two-tier NHS in Wales, with her own constituents in Wrexham falling into the second class category.

 

If she rejects Hywel Dda CHC’s objections, she will face accusations that her decision was made purely for political expediency in order to save face.

 

H er only viable course is to make her decision on behalf of all the health boards in Wales. Unless she acts speedily, that will be problematic too, since Betsi Cadwaladr has already begun implementing the closures, quickly and stealthily.

 

If she follows what the people and the staff of the NHS are demanding and stop the closures, she will have to obtain extra funding. If she doesn’t, she will have to face her own constituents.

 

From the very beginning, when the Welsh Government decided to cut funding for the NHS, the whole thing has become an omnishambles.

 

Martin Crumpton

Llangollen