Rising hospital waiting lists concern to Isherwood

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood is concerned that the number of people waiting over 36 weeks for their first hospital appointment in North Wales increased by 66% between the end of April and the end of June, double the 33% all-Wales increase.

 

The latest Official figure for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has jumped from 1,401 at the end of April to 2,327 at the end of June. The figure across Wales increased from 7,611 to 10,123.  

 

Mr Isherwood said: “ A Welsh Government target recommends no-one should wait longer than 36 weeks when referred to hospital by their GP so it is deeply concerning to see that the target has once again been missed and particularly worrying that the increase has been so vast in North Wales – the people of North Wales deserve better.”

 

The total number of people on an NHS waiting list in Wales is now 80 per cent higher than it was when Carwyn Jones became First Minister at the end of 2009. At that point, 227,000 patients were waiting for treatment. At the end of June that figure stood at 410,000.

 

The Health Minister recently announced a review into NHS funding – and later admitted this would amount to a summer ‘interrogation’ of the budget with the Finance Minister.

 

Welsh Conservative Assembly Members have consistently called for the health budget to be protected in line with inflation – as it is in England. The Welsh Conservatives represent the only party to stand for significant additional investment in the NHS – a policy that has stood since before the last Assembly election.

 

Mr Isherwood added: “These waits not only lay bare the true scale of the cash crisis in the Welsh NHS, but also reinforce the HIW and Wales Audit Office concerns about Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s governance arrangements and organisational structure. The Welsh Government has dealt Welsh patients an unfair deal. The Minister’s review into funding must come up with more cash to eliminate target busting waiting times and this Labour Welsh Government should stop dodging calls for an independent inquiry into the Welsh National Health Service comparable to that already conducted into NHS Trusts in England."

AM criticises health board's `spin doctor' appointment

Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar has criticised Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board for seeking to appoint a new communication professional on up to £56,504 per year.　

 

He is concerned that the troubled health board is intending to invest so much in a spin doctor in an attempt to boost public confidence in the services it provides, when the money could be better spent on improving services.

 

Mr Millar said: "There is much work to be done to restore confidence in the region’s health service and the successful applicant will face an uphill task.　

 

"Severe management failings have resulted in resignations and the service is bowing under the pressure of Labour’s record-breaking NHS budget cuts.

 

"While there is a clear pressing need to build bridges with communities in north Wales, this will take more than another NHS spin-doctor.　

 

"The only way forward for the health service across Wales is an independent Keogh-style inquiry into standards of care."

Ruthin offers special Wednesday events during August

Ruthin celebrates the arrival of August with three special Wednesday events on the 14th, 21st and 28th of the month. Retail businesses will be extending their opening hours until 8pm to give their customers a chance to spend a pleasant evening enjoying the variety of shops on offer in the town.  Ruthin Gaol, Nantclwyd y Dre and Ruthin Craft Centre will all be open until 8pm too so there'll be an opportunity to visit some of the town's cultural gems between shops.  Ruthin's cafes, restaurants and bars will be offering a friendly welcome to evening shoppers on each of the Wednesdays. Denbighshire County Council and local Ruthin businesses have worked closely together to bring about these coordinated events for the benefit the local economy.  Parking in the town is free after 5pm.

* llanblogger comments: Why not something similar in Llangollen?

£1.8m to help safeguard Corwen from flooding

Wales's Minister for Natural Resources and Food Alun Davies has approved £1.8m for Denbighshire County Council’s proposed flood alleviation scheme in Corwen.

The scheme will help protect 80 properties, and the A5 trunk road from the threat posed by  Nant Cawrddu and Nant Pigyn.

The Minister made the announcement on the same day that he travelled to St Asaph to meet residents who were badly affected by the flooding of November 2012.

Mr Davies said: “My visit to St Asaph is a stark reminder of the very real and increasing threat that flooding poses to communities across Wales , and of the long term issues that the type of  flooding that we saw last November can cause.

"The Welsh Government is committed to managing the risk of flooding for communities across the whole of Wales. That is why we are investing £180m into flood and coastal erosion management over the life of this Assembly; it is why we drawing down an additional £60m of European funding to supplement our own investment;  and it is why we are maintaining our investment in flood risk management despite a reduction in our overall budget.

"Over the last 10 years the Welsh Government has provided £14.5 m for flood alleviation schemes in Denbighshire. But last year’s events only serve to highlight the challenges we face and I very much welcome the ongoing work of Natural Resources to investigate long term solutions to reducing flood risk in St Asaph.

"As part of the Welsh Government’s  ongoing commitment to flood risk management I am today announcing £1.8m for a flood alleviation scheme that will help protect homes and businesses in Corwen, another Denbighshire community that has recent experience of  flooding, and  I will continue to support appropriate flood risk management schemes that offer increased protection to communities across Wales who are vulnerable to flood risk.”

Ombudsman highlights failings in health board's record keeping

The BBC website is reporting this morning (Thursday) that the Ombudsman has found failings in patient record keeping by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which covers Llangollen.

See the full report at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23606737#?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Faery magic comes to the pavilion this weekend

Llangollen Faery Festival flies into the town's Royal International Pavilion this weekend.

 

Organisers say it will be a fun packed two day event for youngsters and anyone who wants there to be a little more magic in this world.

 

Taking place on Saturday and Sunday, the festival will offer lots of fun things to see and do.

There are wing and wand making workshops, storytelling, talks and exhibitions for the grown ups and a Faery Market where craftspeople will be selling all sorts of magical fairy inspired gifts. 

 

From face painting to putting your wishes on The Wishing Line, there will be plenty of children's activities and - entry for under 12's is free.

 

There will be talks from people such as Mary Curtis, author of The Goldfish Who Jumped, and Dan Baines, creator of the cleverest fairy hoax since the Cottingley Fairies fooled Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  

 

When Dan declared his fairy pictures a fake, 20,00 people emailed him claiming fairies are real and he was hiding the truth!  

 

Dan now makes props for film makers like Guillermo Del Torro and he will be telling his extraordinary story.

 

Fiona Maher, author of The Last Changeling, a fairy story for adults, will be reading from her book.

 

On Saturday evening there's a Grand Faery Ball where the grown ups can don their fairy finery and dance to three live acts -  Charlotte Oram, The Bear Beats Band and Drowsy Maggie.

  

Tickets are available at the gate and online via llangollenfaeryfesti.wix.com/llangollenfaeryfesti

Lib Dem AM slams `back to grammars' plan

Aled Roberts AM has blasted the Welsh Conservatives’ proposals to extend grammar schools as a “rose tinted Tory view of the past” and has accused the party of failing to operate in the “here and now”.

 

Mr Roberts, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Education, said: “Once again the Welsh Tories are throwing around policy ideas without any idea how they would implement them.  They are refusing to operate in the here and now, instead reflecting on their rose-tinted Tory view of the past when many children were written off at 11.  Their current proposal would instead see children cast aside when they’re 14.

 

“A recent report showed that the odds of pupils entitled to free school meals securing a place at a grammar school were nearly five times lower than for other pupils.  Creating more grammar schools would merely extend the attainment gap that already exists between pupils from affluent and less affluent backgrounds.

 

“Wales needs to target efforts on raising teaching standards and further restructuring would simply distract these efforts.  It would be interesting to know how the Tories would afford this re-structure, bearing in mind that at the last election they wanted to slash the education budget by 20%.

 

“Not so long ago the Welsh Tories called for people to be charged to use the NHS if they injure themselves doing ‘irresponsible’ activities, such as ‘skiing or rock-climbing’;  a policy they appeared to drop in a matter of hours. 

 

"It’s all very well grabbing a quick headline, but to be taken seriously they really must start thinking their policies through.  There are real practical difficulties with this proposals, particularly in rural areas.  We believe, as a principle, that there is no difficulty in pupils of all abilities achieving their potential under the comprehensive system as long as the proper processes are in place to keep standards high.”