Planned hospital surgery suspended

UPDATED STORY ...

All routine planned non-emergency surgery across North Wales has been suspended due to what has been described as "increased pressure".

The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said the move affects Wrexham Maelor hospital, Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor and Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan.

For more details on the story see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25830185

* Commenting on the announcement, Aled Roberts, Assembly Member for North Wales, said: 

“This announcement is very worrying.  The Welsh Labour Government had previously said that it was confident that winter plans were in place.  However, these plans are not holding up well at all. 

 

“This is yet further evidence that Betsi Cadwaladr health board is under an immense amount of pressure and that it is really struggling.

 

“Recent figures have shown that Betsi Cadwaladr is the worst performing health board in Wales with regards to patient waiting times.  Many patients are already waiting too long until they receive treatment, it’s therefore a concern that many will now have to wait even longer.

 

“This announcement has been very sudden.  It is essential that if the health board is considering extending the suspension of services beyond next Monday, then patients are informed as soon as possible.

 

“Not only is Betsi Cadwaladr the worst performing health board on waiting times, but this is a problem that has been growing every month since March of last year - there has been a 7% increase in those waiting for more than 6 months and a 4% increase for those waiting over 9 months in the most recent figures released last week for November 2013.

 

“With over 4,330 patients waiting more than 9 months until treatment in the Betsi Cadwaladr area, which is roughly 30% of the figure for the whole of Wales, there clearly is a major problem in the North which can only grow significantly after the cancellation of all non-emergency operations this week.

 

“There seems little chance of meeting the Welsh Government’s target of having just 5% waiting more than six months for treatment and nobody waiting over 9 months.”

* Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd said: “This announcement of opera tions being cancelled will do nothing to ease the growing sense of crisis at Betsi Cadwaladr and the NHS in the North. The recent tragic case of Mr Fred Pring highlighted yet again the delays ambulances are encountering in trying to get patients into hospitals.

 

 “Plaid Cymru made it clear that last year’s closure of community hospital beds would put more and more pressure on the main three hospitals and we now see that Glan Clwyd, Bangor and Wrexham are unable to cope with increased seasonal demand and a growing ageing population. The message to GPs confirms that prolonged hospital admissions are causing bed blocking. How many of these patients could and should be moving out to community hospital beds?

 

“This latest cancellation of surgery just postpones the problem and creates further backlog. I don’t know to what extent this is a knee-jerk reaction to Mr Pring but it’s high time that the Welsh Health Minister got a grip of the situation here in North Wales.

 

“We want to see an improved Welsh Health Service here. For that to happen, senior management need to understand that the tickbox target culture can sometimes have unforeseen consequences outside their own narrow silo of responsibility. The Health Minister should intervene before a bad situation becomes worse.”

Mabon ap Gwynfor, spokesman for the North Wales Health Alliance:  “The North Wales Health Alliance was formed last year in part to oppose the closure of community hospitals across the North. We warned then that the loss of more than 50 beds would put extra pressure on our district general hospitals. Now we see the ambulances parked outside for hours on end, patients unable to be discharged because there are no community beds and on top of this operations being cancelled. When will health bosses start listening to people?

 

“Since then we’ve had a new health minister, a new chief executive and a new chairman of Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board. But we’re still facing the same problems because none of them have so far tackled the underlying problems within the health service in the North.”

 

Hospital appointment becomes seven hour marathon

A LLANGOLLEN man has complained to Wales’s Health Minister about a gruelling ordeal which he says saw a simple outpatients’ appointment take almost seven hours due to problems with hospital transport.

Well-known local campaigner Martin Crumpton claims the experience has caused his already delicate health to deteriorate further and left him “in dread” of his next appointment later this month. 

The Welsh Ambulance Service has now begun an official investigation.

As a category C2 patient needing two people to lift himself and his wheelchair in and out of an ambulance, Mr Crumpton was collected by a two-man ambulance crew from his home at 9.45am on January 6 to be taken to his 10.30am appointment at Wrexham’s Maelor Hospital where he had treatment to diabetic foot ulcers.

As the result of a delay of over three hours in being picked by hospital transport, he didn’t arrive home until 3.30pm that day by which time he says he was heading for a diabetic hypoglycemic attack.

 

He said: “I arrived there on time and was seen within 15 minutes. The treatment ended at 11.20am and hospital transport was notified I was ready to go home immediately.

“The podiatrist saw I was still waiting and called them again at 12 noon. Their response was an apologetic one-hour delay, with my pick-up at 2pm.

 

“At 2.10pm, seeing I was still there, they called again. I was then, finally, picked up at 2.40pm by a crew who said they'd only just been assigned.

“They told me that their control had been making significant errors co-ordinating the crews throughout the day. I finally arrived home at 3.30pm.

 

“The round trip has taken six hours and 45 minutes for an out-patients' appointment lasting 40 minutes.”

 

Mr Crumpton added: “The whole time I was hunched-up in my wheelchair with pressure on my feet, specifically the thing I should not be doing.

“During my extended wait, the small amount of food all sensible diabetics carry was not adequate and I was heading for a hypo.

 

“As if that wasn't enough, as a heart failure patient on daily doses of diuretics, I needed assistance to be wheeled to a toilet which was ill-equipped to accommodate a wheelchair user due to it layout and small size.

 

“Once home, I was fed urgently, given a morphine compound and painkillers. But the pain  continued throughout the night, keeping me awake for four hours.

“I have another appointment on January 20 and I quite dread another long wait.

“The district nurse confirms that following my visit to the hospital my foot ulcers have been damaged as well as my already-damaged achilles heels.

 

“What I've learned from staff I see regularly, and often on a first-name basis, is that the Welsh Ambulance Service is severely understaffed. 

“Staff are retiring and there is no recruitment to replace them. The non-emergency ambulances are, in a few cases, quite decrepit.”

In a letter of complaint to Health Minister Mark Drakeford, he says:  “All this, Minister, is wholly down to underfunding and I'm willing to wager with you that this now-deplorable service contributes significantly to patient dissatisfaction figures.

 

“They also tell me that ambulances queue four to five deep at hospitals all over North Wales on a daily basis, and as we left the Maelor on January 6, I saw five waiting myself.” 

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “Our Patient Care Service (PCS) makes more than 1 million journeys every year, providing non-emergency transport to routine hospital appointments in England and Wales for 4,000 patients a day.

“As part of our ambitious modernisation and clinical transformation programme, Working Together for Success, we have made a firm commitment to provide a high quality, planned Patient Care Service which is valued by users, and have seen a number of improvements over the year, including the improved timeliness of our service.

“In 2013, we replaced 14 of our Patient Care Service vehicles in North Wales, and anticipate the delivery of further vehicles in the coming weeks. We are also in the process of recruiting more than a dozen new Patient Care Service staff in North Wales.

“We are disappointed to hear of the patient’s concern on this occasion and have contacted them directly to ensure their future transport arrangements run as smoothly as possible.

“A formal concern has been received in relation to this case, and we will be responding directly to the patient once we have looked into the matter in more detail.”

Railway steams into another exciting year

* Volunteers celebrate the latest Llangollen Railway milestone. 

After the golden moment on December 27 when the two lengths of rail were joined at Bonwm, another grand occasion for Llangollen Railway came for volunteers on January 2 when a ballast train ran from Carrog to Bonwm. 

For the first time since the scrapman’s train came through in 1968/69, a diesel locomotive and train paused at the site of the former Bonwm Halt.

Later it proceeded west of underpass bridge 28 to drop stone on the newly-laid track.

Volunteers celebrated with a group photograph in front of the class 26 locomotive No.D5310 at the end of its run. 

The contractors finished repairs to the brick arch and abutments of the over bridge in early January and the scaffolding was dismantled, although some final pointing of the lower layers remains to be done. 

This opens up the way west for the final half mile of track into the Corwen station site and will involve the laying of 46 panels of rail. 

Track laying depends on the provision of further supplies of concrete sleepers and fittings, as well as base ballast, and sources for these are being investigated for early delivery.

Good support has been received for the Sleeper Appeal organised by volunteer Paul Bailey and the appeal remains open for further contributions towards the £20,000 target.

Pending further track laying the volunteers are hard at work clearing the over grown vegetation on the sides of the cutting beyond Bridge 28A and on the final approach into the station site. Bridge 29 has been rebuilt to provide pedestrian access to the riverside nature reserve.

The access on site of the contractors for the Corwen Flood Alleviation Scheme to provide an outflow into the River Dee neared completion in early January.

Restatement of the level at the location of the former bridge 30, where out flow pipes were installed, is now complete and has allowed renewal of vehicle access from the Corwen end on to the trackbed.

On January 15 the railway’s contractors marked out the locations of the footings for the bases of the five coach length platform.

Excavations on the embankment quickly began and, with concrete being poured, completion due in week ending January 24.

Completion of this section is dependent on the provision of materials and the continuing spell of mild weather.

Based on past performance, half a mile of track can be laid by the volunteer workforce in approximately 12 work days, equating to six weeks, once the base ballast is laid and sleepers are distributed along the length. 

The application of resources, both manpower and financial, are the key elements to the completion of this project.

If you wish to help, your donation for the Corwen Sleepers Appeal can be made by cheque, payable Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd, and addressed to: Mr P Bailey. Dolwen, Bryneglwys, Corwen, Denbs, LL21 9LY. Gift Aiding your donation will add to the financial benefit obtained.

Bus timetable changes announced

Some bus times affecting Llangollen are changing with effect from Monday, January 27. They are:

5:  Wrexham - Corwen and X5: Corwen - Ruthin|

There is an additional journey on Mondays to Saturdays from Wrexham at 13.45 via Llangollen (14.19) to Corwen (arriving 13.39). The bus continues as service X5 to Ruthin.

The 07.30 X5 from Corwen to Ruthin & Denbigh operates Mondays to Fridays, but operates at 07.35 during school holidays. It also runs on Saturdays at 07.35.

The 08.10 X5 from Corwen to Ruthin operates Mondays to Saturdays throughout the year.

64, 64A: Llangollen - Ceiriog Valley|

All journeys from the Ceiriog Valley and Chirk towards Llangollen operate one minute earlier from all stops between Chirk and Llangollen.

The 08.55 from Chirk is unchanged.

The 18.25 from Llanarmon DC will now depart two minutes later.

All journeys from Llangollen towards Chirk operate one minute earlier from Chirk.

X94: Barmouth - Corwen - Llangollen - Wrexham|

This service is now being run by a different operator, and the times have changed.  

 

You can view the changes at:|

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/resident/parking-roads-and-travel/public-transport-information/bus-changes-timetable-x94.pdf

All buses are serving Llangollen Parade Street and Ruabon Station Approach.

 

Council merger proposals unveiled

Denbighshire could join with Conwy and Wrexham with Flintshire under plans to merge local councils in Wales outlined in a report today.

For the full report see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-25776603

Well-known doctor backs save plas Madoc campaign

The campaign to save Plas Madoc's leisure facilities has been backed by prominent local doctor Peter Saul.

In a message of support to the Save Plas Madoc Leisure Centre campaign the Rhos-based GP said: "I'm sorry and concerned to hear of proposals for closure of Plas Madoc. I am very worried that services for local people will not be maintained.  We use the centre for exercise referrals which serve an important function.

"I think the council must have in place:

1) Facilities to suport health, wellbeing and recovery from illness.

2)These should be accessable to people in the Rhos, Penycae, Johnstown and Ruabon areas.

3) the network of professionals supporting these activities should be maintained."


Darrell Wright, from the Save Plas Madoc Leisure Centre campaign, said: "What is becoming more and more obvious as our campaign gathers momentum is the knock-on effects this planned closure would have for
the health of our communities.

 "Many people have contacted us to say how important Plas Madoc's unique facilities are for their fight for fitness or health. Now we have a local GP saying loud and clear that the centre is vital for referrals.

 "It's high time the council looked beyond the pounds and pence of this matter and saw the wider impact their decisions will have on health, wellbeing and community life. How much extra will it cost the
NHS not to have these facilities in place?"
The campaign, which organised a huge demonstration outside the leisure centre last week, is gearing up for another big turnout outside the Guildhall in Wrexham on February 4 at 1pm, when the council discusses its options before making a final decision.

Llan resident's letter to Health Minister

Below is a copy of a letter sent by Llangollen resident Martin Crumpton to Wales' Health Minister Mark Drakeford about a looming cut to his benefits.

 

 

Dear Mr Drakeford,

 

Is this my punishment at having the temerity to complain about the dire state of hospital transport in North Wales? While I await the considered reply you personally promised me on Twitter, something else has occurred which I’d like to draw your attention to.

 

On December 24th 2012, just over a year ago, my GP and he Heart Failure Team at Wrexham Maelor Hospital told me I had six months left to live. Though happily still alive, I face an uncertain future and chronic cardiac failure combined with many other disorders, including an extremely rare genetic defect is a formidable obstacle. Since I cannot walk or even stand for more than a couple of minutes, I have the district nurse every two days to change the dressings on my ulcerated feet and need a two-man ambulance crew to get me and my wheelchair from home to ambulance and back when I make my fortnightly appointments with the diabetic ulcer podiatrist, the letter I received today from the DWP came as a surprise (attached).

 

It seems they regard me as capable of work and my benefits will be curtailed in just a few weeks’ time to below a level I can survive on. I’m already in fuel poverty and have had to choose between eating and heating. It seems I must attend interviews.

 

Of course, there’s an appeals procedure, but the stark reality is, as so many have discovered, the benefit cuts happen quickly but the appeals take six months or more to be heard. This leaves me in a most invidious position. I already have to sleep in a Red Cross hospital bed in my living room because I cannot climb stairs.to be with my wife – should I decamp entirely to a hospital ward and watch my wife suffer further as her Carer’s Allowance is stopped?

 

I am now quite relieved that the Ambulance Service’s “Putting Things Right Team” wanted to examine my medical history, despite wondering what possible relevance that has on the dreadful waits for Hospital Transport when no form of triage is conducted when booking them except to determine if I qualify for it.

 

Minister Drakeford, is it too much to ask for swift intervention from you before I’m forced into NHS care, separated from my beloved wife and back into clinical depression? (It’s in my medical notes, along with my deformed spine, diabetes, cardiac and degenerative mitochondrial myopathies, neurological memory disorder, fallen arches and muscle atrophy among others.) Perhaps you could find me some decent work from home for the Welsh Assembly Government, and I’m skilled with English and IT. I’d love to be independent from benefits and bureaucratic insensitivity.

 

With kind regards,

 

Martin Crumpton