I highlighted concern over the Welsh Government’s decision to transfer the Welsh Independent Living Grant to local authorities. The grant helps disabled people to live independently. As I stated, a campaigner in Wrexham, Nathan Davies, said he felt that disabled people had been ‘sold down the river’ and Disability Wales expressed disappointment that the Welsh Government didn’t follow Scotland in setting up an Independent Living Fund, administered by Inclusion Scotland, which Northern Ireland has also commissioned its Independent Living Fund from.
Although the First Minister stated that they followed advice from “the stakeholders advisory group”, Disability Wales is an independent, not for profit membership organisation of disability groups and allies from across Wales.
Speaking during the debate on National Grid Cables, I noted that the One Voice Wales Anglesey Pylon Committee, representing 38 town and community councils, had stated that the pylon option has been chosen on the basis of cost alone, and that it brings only negative impacts to the sustainability of small and medium-sized businesses in tourism and agriculture on the island.
New data has revealed that English NHS hospitals are outperforming their Welsh NHS equivalents in a clear majority of waiting time measures. Welsh patients are now having to wait 79 days for surgery–five weeks longer than England– and 50 days for diagnosis, nearly 3 weeks longer than England.
Most scandalous of all is the wait for hip operations, which is now three times longer in Wales than across the border. The most recent comparable data available (November 2016), saw 1,906,784 attendances in English A&E departments, with just 456 waiting longer than 12 hours, whereas 2,957 out of 79,927 attendances in Welsh A&E departments waited longer than 12 hours.
Wales needs an innovative strategy, informed by science and professional bodies, that will support patients and NHS staff, and address the issues that hold our health service back.
I met BT Wales’ Director, North Wales patients at the Wales Cancer Patient Voices Assembly Event, and representatives from Flintshire and Conwy Councils at the Cross Party Group on Cross Border Issues, and attended the launch of the RNIB report on Eye Clinic Liaison services in Wales.
North Wales meetings included Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and MS Cymru, and Natural Resources Wales.
If you need my help, please email mark.isherwood@assembly.wales or ring 0300 200 7217.