Elin Jones MS has confirmed that she has secured a meeting with the Health Minister alongside representatives of Protect Bronglais Services.
The meeting will happen tomorrow afternoon after a debate in the Senedd to discuss the 17000-signed Petition to support the Bronglais stroke unit. The Protect Bronglais Services Group secured the debate, after collecting over 10,000 signatures within a matter of weeks.
As Elin Jones MS said:
“I’m glad the Health Minister, Jeremy Miles, has agreed to my request to meet with representatives of the Bronglais petition to discuss the future of stroke services in mid Wales. Wednesday is a real opportunity to influence Welsh Government on the importance of retaining full stroke rehabilitation at Bronglais hospital. Moving stroke patients to Llanelli and forcing their families to undertake unacceptably long daily visits is not acceptable to my constituents. It is important that the Minister hears how unpalatable these proposals are."
Yesterday, Elin Jones MS also welcomed the Stroke Association's rejection to the Hywel Dda Clinical Services Review proposals to introduce a treat and transfer model for stroke patients in Bronglais, effectively downgrading the current full range of stroke services at Aberystwyth.
In a communication to Senedd Members the Stroke Association confirmed:
“The Stroke Association does not support Hywel Dda University Health Board’s proposed changes to move stroke rehabilitation to a treat and transfer model. We believe that the current public proposals risk undermining specialist-led treatment, fragmenting services, and increasing health inequalities across Wales.”
As Elin Jones explained:
“I am so pleased that the Stroke Association has taken the opportunity of Wednesday’s stroke petition debate to assert its objection to the model proposed by the Health Board. Many of the reasons given by the Stroke Association mirror the concerns of the thousands of petitioners. In particular, the lack of detail given by the Health Board on its proposal and how it is clinically-led, has concerned the Stroke Association. I was also pleased to see that the Association state that the national picture has not been considered by the Health Board and that there is a need to plan services alongside Swansea Bay Health Board, rather than in duplication with Swansea Bay. A national overview of stroke services would highlight the need for mid Wales to be served by a full stroke unit. Crucially, the Stroke Association is concerned at siting a stroke unit in a location without an on-site emergency department, as would be the case in Llanelli.
The Health Board should now withdraw its plans on stroke from its Clinical Services Review and plan a future for stroke services with all mid Wales health boards and alongside Swansea Bay Health Board. This would enable a regionally-designed specialist and rehabilitation stroke service for all of mid and west Wales.”
*The debate can be viewed live online tomorrow afternoon