Mr Angry
I've been interviewing Robert Meadowcroft, who's director of policy for the Muscular Dystrophy Society. Afterwards he said "I'm Mr Angry today" and as I read back some of his comments, I can't disagree with his description.
"The problem lies," he said, "in a lack of health planning in Wales. There's a crisis in care for patients with muscular dystrophy."
And he went on: "Services are getting worse in Wales for people with muscular dystrophy. Not staying the same, not getting better - they are getting worse."
Strong words. So what's he so angry about?
Well it's the case of Jack Thomas, a fourteen year old from Cardiff. He has a condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrohy and needs regular sleep studies. Unfortunately for him, his local hospital - Cardiff's UHW - has stopped its service and for him to continue this vital assesment he has to travel to Great Ormond Street in London. You may have heard his mum Joanne on this morning's Good Morning Wales.
Robert Meadowcroft and his colleagues, plus another parent are meeting the health minister Edwina Hart and officials in the Assembly tomorrow. They'll have strong words for them too. This is what they want:
- The sleep service in Cardiff re-instated immediately.
- A commitment to appoint care advisers - at least one for the North and one for the South.
- And a review of neuromuscular services.
Robert Meadowcroft says the last point is the most important. "Services in Wales," he told me "are getting worse not better. There's been a serious decline which is predicted to continue for the next two years at least."
So tomorrow's meeting should be interesting. Edwina Hart has told the society that she wasn't aware of the seriousness of the situation. They met four weeks ago and tomorrow's meeting is the follow-up. I'll keep you updated.
I'm Betsan Powys, BBC Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~03~RS~)
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And there is the matter, not a small matter, of One Billion pounds swishing about in the Welsh NHS doing not a lot for the young fellow, shame on Edwina Hart .....
..... her Annual Revue might say .....
Could do better, a lot better, in fact better be off with you.
..... the coalition revue on the NHS matter would say ..
Silk purse out of a sows ear, have you seen the bridge built by the committee, it missed the opposite bank and collapsed in disarray into the water.
Time to retire Ms Hart, there is a better man out there, a Merthyr Man.
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Adrian:
I am in complete agreement with Mr. Meadowcroft remarks and his temper towards his anger over the issues....
=Dennis Junior=
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It would be wonderful if, instead of wasting time and money on pushing for more law-making powers for themselves, politicians would focus on doing what we voted them in for: providing decent health and education provision to the people of Wales.
It can only get worse.
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And without the tools to do the job the National Assembly is handicapped. Now I don't know anything about this case, and neither do most commentating here. There are a million and one things that need improving - its very unrealistic to think that everything can be done at once or failure to do everything for everyone instantly is a reason to abolish the assembly. If all was wonderful we would never have had the National Assembly at all.
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Adrian
Re: "Robert Meadowcroft says the last point is the most important. "Services in Wales," he told me "are getting worse not better."
Sad to see that Robert Meadowcrofts comments have led to the usual outbreak of complacency from the pro devolutionists to divert people away from holding people to account for failings by the assembly in the provision of essential services.
#4 seems to think that because we have the assembly this situation is perfectly acceptable because we can always blame somebody else. What are these tools the poor quality workman are supposed to have? I was under the misguided impression that local accountability would lead to an improvement in services and not provide people with a pathetic excuse.
Things would not be wonderful if we never had the assembly but we must start to ask the question would they be a whole lot better, but we should not ignore the fact that more peolple want to abolish the assembly than have an independent Wales.
The WAG website http://wales.gov.uk/topics/health/nhswales/organisations/healthcare_commission/?lang=en makes much of the English Healthcare Commission to which you get a link. It then shoots itself in the foot by tagging on a bit at the end with no link for Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and that is exactly how it comes across, second fiddle and second rate.
"The Healthcare Commission’s main statutory duties in England are to:
* assess the management, provision and quality of NHS healthcare and public health services;
* review the performance of each NHS Trust and award an annual performance rating;
* regulate the independent healthcare sector through registration, annual inspection, monitoring complaints and enforcement;
* publish information about the state of healthcare;
* consider complaints about NHS organisations that the organisations themselves have not resolved;
* promote the coordination of reviews and assessments carried out by themselves and others;
* carry out investigations of serious failures in the provision of healthcare.
In carrying out its duties, the Healthcare Commission is required to pay particular attention to:
* the availability of, access to, quality and effectiveness of healthcare;
* the economy and efficiency of the provision of healthcare;
* the availability and quality of information provided to the public about healthcare;
* the need to safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of children and the effectiveness of measures taken to do so.
The Healthcare Commission also has certain duties in respect to Wales, mainly relating to national reviews and our annual State of Healthcare report.
But I live in Wales, how does this apply to me?
The answer is
However, local inspection and investigation of NHS bodies in Wales rests with the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales,"
As one currently in receipt of healthcare I am impressed by the professionalism and quality of the service I am receiving. However, we should not be afraid of pointing out where services could be improved, and given the response you get when you do this I can well understand the anger it provokes in people.
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I wish to add that the 67 million pounds that went on the assembly buiding could have gone to providing something useful such as health care.
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There can be no doubt that the issue raised under "Mr. Angry" are heartbreaking and having had a son with type 1 Diabetes I understand the anguish that parents must be going through. A similar case was raise yesterday on ITV Wales with women with cancer problems and lack of provision of services as compared to services under the NHS "across the border" as is beloved of BBC CYMRU. It is apparent that even with the level of funding that WAG has received from Westminster that the NHS cannot meet all needs and as such priorities must be put in place and explained to a pretty sophisticated electorate who understand limits to their own personal expenditure. It is also a requirement of WAG that it makes the best use of its resources and services/hospital locations are provided to suit the needs of majority of people,however when it is reported that £1 Billion Pounds i.e. 20% of budget is being misallocated and seemingly nothing been done about it then the whole credability of current structure,let alone increasing powers seems a joke,other than to the nationalists who want more power for the purpose of increasing "welshness" and our supposed lack of confidence,rather than getting a "bigger bang for our buck". Who ever comes to power at Westminster in 2010 where the real responsibility rests for health or other wise of UK economy they are going to face unprecedent problems in peacetime regarding taxes/funding,but one thing is certain the money cascading into wales is over and pretty hard decisions are going have to be made.In the 3 candidates for FM which one will have the "guts" to explain how the complete restructing of public services will have to be carried out in wales to ensure proper services within a very constrained amount of public funds.The "more powers" is a complete side show to the reality of life that is going to be faced by 98% of welsh people,the 2% being politicians/media people.
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Another example of a Welsh Assembly having shot itself in the foot is the Change4life campaign which is run in England but referred to by all Welsh health agencies.
The logo is freely open to people and companies who wish to promote preventative health by means of diet and exercise subject to standard conditions, as a result, this seems to be a visible success – In England!
What about Health Challenge Wales? It has been a dismal failure so instead of a national campaign they divided it up into health authorities supported by local councils.
The result is that it is still conspicuous by its absence, the reason being is that the Welsh Assembly wants companies to submit scientific proof of the claims made regarding common sense dieting and exercise.
That rules out 99.9 percent of all the things we do to stay fit and healthy because of the lack of absolute scientific proof and anything of a psychological nature to create a feeling of wellbeing cannot be scientifically proved.
These companies would have no problem being part of the English campaign and using the Change4life logo but because of the imposition of red tape they are not allowed to do so in Wales.
That is nothing to do with having the tools to do the job, it is everything to do with the Welsh Assembly imposing unattainable restrictions on what is a very good idea. Therefore, the campaign to keep us fit and healthy to relieve pressure on the NHS goes nowhere.
Fortunately some of us can go to England for treatment, but if this scheme was made a success then money could be spent on those issues raised by Robert Meadowcroft. Instead of identifying where the problem is we only get the usual belly ache about funding, and the tools to do the job etc.
That makes me angry!
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Adrian
This is an excellent blog as gets to the real issues that affect our lives, its about offering constructive critisism and not just about being negative. Its good to know that there are people like Robert Meadowcroft are around to bring these issues to our attention. He deserves out full support in the excellent work done by the Muscular Dystrophy Society
While we have a leadership contest going on can we also blog on other services such as education?
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#4 Lyn_Thomas:
"And without the tools to do the job the National Assembly is handicapped. Now I don't know anything about this case, and neither do most commentating here. There are a million and one things that need improving - its very unrealistic to think that everything can be done at once or failure to do everything for everyone instantly is a reason to abolish the assembly."
This is far too sensible and balanced to get a hearing on this board. In the cause of reasonable debate, I'd take issue with your first sentence. The NA has the tools now, but has only just begun to get to grips with how to manage NHS Wales. WAG should merged the NHS trusts long ago, as part of a serious re-organisation of Wales's seriously fragmented local government. WAG and the NA find it difficult because of the vested interests and tribalism that keep tiny authorities in existence.
This comment will either be ignored by the usual baying mob or greeted with howls because it doesn't either argue for independence or call for the abolition of the Assembly - the only two positions allowed here.
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Re 8
"Another example of a Welsh Assembly having shot itself in the foot is the Change4life campaign which is run in England but referred to by all Welsh health agencies."
But it isn't the Assembly, it's the Welsh Assembly Government. When London gets things wrong, quite rightly it's the British government that gets the blame. Can we please apply the same rules and consistency in the Welsh context? Otherwise it looks like someone having a pop at 'The Assembly' just for the hell of it, and because they basically don't believe it should even be there.
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#11
You seem more than a little confused so let me explain in detail.
1. With regard to the Change4Life campaign London got it right and when it does we should acknowledge that fact instead of making cheap points at every opportunity. Dragging down Westminster to make Cardiff Bay look good does not do your argument any favours
2. The job of the Welsh Assembly is to hold the government to account, the same way that the Conservatives and backbench Labour MPs have forced the UK government to do a U-turn on the outrageous scrapping of the Territorial Army training budget.
3. When are we going to get an opposition or backbench AMs challenging a decision of the WAG of the same magnitude in the same way? On the other hand, if it has already happened please give us an example.
4. It is in this context that the WAG gets away with social injustice and wasting of our money.
Dismissing peoples concerns as just taking a pop at the assembly for the hell of it, is why people feel excluded from the political process and hard evidence that we would be better off without it.
Just as people on this blog make a point about the benefits of an independent Wales we should do the same for the greater number who quite rightly believe we would all be better off without an expensive an in this example an ineffective third layer of government.
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Good point FiDafydd, and of course the National Assembly is better at bringing the Welsh Assembly Government (can't they just drop the assembly bit its confusing and helps perpetuate the sort of government/assembly confusion we are talking about) to account that Welsh MPs ever were with the Welsh Office.
I do not doubt that there are serious problems with all aspects of government, and when in England I hear the same range of complaints - maybe about different parts of the NHS, but people complain about shortages and lack of funding for a range of services.
I don't know enough about this particular problem to give an "expert" comment but it does seem to open the flood gates for the usual suspects to blame the assembly.
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Verymuch so, I agreed with the principle of creating local health boards to mirror the boundaries of local government, where it failed was the coordination of social services with health care, something I think that may well be relevant to the issue of bed blocking (Which is every bit as bad in England as it is in Wales). I think it failed because the units are/were far to small. I think the reorganisation of Local Government can not be far off - too many too small authorities exist. The larger health boards hopefully will have the scale to plan and coordinate services, will have to see how they mesh with local councils - some serious work on coordination is needed. Powys seems to have chosen a sensible path with merger - perhaps it can lead the way?
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Re 12
Now I really am confused! How you can see what I said in no.11 as a criticism of Westminster, I really don't know. All I asked for was that we used correct terminology.
And let's get rid of this idea that everyone who supports devolution is completely uncritical of WAG - that is a nonsense, and you know it.
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#15
You asked for the correct terminology and you got it. Moreover, I like most object to being told what I do and do not know. Not everyone who supports devolution is uncritical of the WAG, but from experience they are the last people to go to for support on serious issues.
I have asked for examples where the assembly has held the WAG to account over issues that concern our lives and you have failed to give any.
So I put it to you again and to keep on message with regard to the blog please give and example where the assembly has done this on the health service.
In leeping to the defense of the assembly you seem to have lost sight of the real issues, which are those raised by Robert Meadowcroft, who is director of policy for the Muscular Dystrophy Society.
"This is what they want:
* The sleep service in Cardiff re-instated immediately.
* A commitment to appoint care advisers - at least one for the North and one for the South.
* And a review of neuromuscular services.
Robert Meadowcroft says the last point is the most important. "Services in Wales," he told me "are getting worse not better. There's been a serious decline which is predicted to continue for the next two years at least."
I think he deserves an answer and our support and not the usual meaningless waffle. If we can make contructive critism and suggest possible savings to achieve this then we should do so.
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Re 16
I'm afraid it is you who is confused: your message talked of the Assembly when you meant WAG.
My original point was neither a criticism of Westminster or a defence of 'the Assembly', it was - and I repeat - asking for correct use of terminology.
I'm not going to give you a list. I'm not in the best position to give you this information anyway, more than I could give you a list of how the Westminster Parliament has done the same.
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13. Lyn you say that the Assembly is better at bringing WAG to account
than the MP's were of bringing the Welsh Office to account.Examples please? I seem to remember many heated sessions of Welsh questions but
of course there wasn't any media coverage then.
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Welsh questions were a once every two weeks for some 20 minutes or so... a few questions can not compare to subject committees and questioning in the National Assembly. I refer you back to the 100 million sent back by Redwood as an example where the majority of Welsh MPs were opposed but could do nothing. The depth and quality of the work of the subject committees - which mostly work out of public limelight (though always open to public scrutiny) is where the hard work of holding a government to account is done, not a few minutes on the floor of the House of Commons.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
#19 Would you please explain why it is with all these subject committees doing such quality of work in great depth that Robert Meadowcroft, who's director of policy for the Muscular Dystrophy Society said..
"Services in Wales,"..."are getting worse not better. There's been a serious decline which is predicted to continue for the next two years at least."
This is not a matter of wanting more funding, or the tools to do the job; it is somebody blowing the whistle about a decline in a public service.
The only question should be WHY, and that means looking at the failure of the WAG to provide services and the accompanying failure of the assembly to hold the WAG to account. Bearing in mind there is about a billion pounds being misspent then that is a reasonable line of inquiry.
I agree with your concerns about the Welsh Office and unfortunately pro devolution MPs seem as useless as AMs. That is why I would not only abolish the assembly I would also abolish the Welsh Office and replace everything with unitary authorities to ensure the same level of provision in essential services in both England and Wales.
The Welsh Affairs Committee could have an extended role to oversee regional issues.
#17 When you have a WAG that faces no opposition and by your own admission a dismal failure of the assembly to hold the WAG to account, the democratic process beaks down and they become one of the same. Moreover, if you need to resort to such splitting of hairs then you have lost whatever futile point you were trying to make.
I have attempted to use the correct terminology to describe your contribution to this blog but it was referred to the moderators!
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19. Lyn bach as you well know there is a Welsh Affairs Committee and a welsh influence on most of the parliamentary committees who work more
than 20 minutes a week on welsh interest.
Are you saying that these welsh MP's do not work in the welsh interest?
It was only a month ago you were pontificating how well Adam Price had questioned the 'bankers' in the Treasury Committee and only last night on Question Time Elwyn Llwyd took every opportunity to tell us of the marvellous work he has done in the welsh interest in Westminster. You
can't have it both ways.
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Re 21
It was charming, I'm sure!
But, again, why anyone got upset by message 11 really is beyond me.
But at least you have now admitted that you are against a National Assembly and a Welsh Assembly Government.
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I made no such comment, I think that the National Assembly does a far better job than MPs ever did with the Welsh Office, of course for a lot of the time that the Welsh Office existed there were different parties holding the position of Secretary of State to that of the majority of MPs - thus they could say what they liked but had no or very limited influence. A good example of this is the botched reorganisation of local government in Wales that failed to create viable councils, many are far to small to carry out their roles properly, basing it on the old 8 counties rather than the 37 old districts would have been a better option (and yes I think a modified 2 tier system would work better in Mid and West Wales). The old Welsh Office carried out the reorganisation without any real consultation or commissioning a report - Welsh MPs were totally sidelined.
I don't know what you think of my contributions, and really it doesn't matter much. If it was referred to the moderators (and I have no idea by who) who then rejected it then somehow the rules must have been broken, though I must admit I am a little unclear how some of the rejected ones break the rules....
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