Today I received a disturbing report from the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, highlighting worrying inequalities in access to neuromuscular medical services in Wales.
The position appears to be that, whilst South Wales is relatively well supplied with such medical services, the same is not the case in North and Mid Wales.
Most worryingly, a phenomenon similar to the Walton neurosurgery experience seems to have developed, with Welsh commissioners “unable to fund treatment at centres in England which border with Wales.”
A survey of Welsh local health boards (LHBs) found that 70 per cent of LHBs had neither an adult nor a child muscular clinic. Where services are provided, it is often unclear how specialised the service is, “and patients have to travel long distances within Wales and to London to receive this treatment.”
The report concludes:
“Action is urgently required regarding the paucity of clinics in Wales and the reluctance to commission specialist English services situated close to the Welsh border. The lack of contracts set up by Health Commission Wales with the level of specification sought after is of serious concern.”
It would consequently appear that, once again, the non-existent border with England is perceived as an insuperable obstacle to those who are responsible for funding the care of patients suffering from the most debilitating of conditions.
This is, quite simply, a scandal and is not what devolution was supposed to be about.
The position appears to be that, whilst South Wales is relatively well supplied with such medical services, the same is not the case in North and Mid Wales.
Most worryingly, a phenomenon similar to the Walton neurosurgery experience seems to have developed, with Welsh commissioners “unable to fund treatment at centres in England which border with Wales.”
A survey of Welsh local health boards (LHBs) found that 70 per cent of LHBs had neither an adult nor a child muscular clinic. Where services are provided, it is often unclear how specialised the service is, “and patients have to travel long distances within Wales and to London to receive this treatment.”
The report concludes:
“Action is urgently required regarding the paucity of clinics in Wales and the reluctance to commission specialist English services situated close to the Welsh border. The lack of contracts set up by Health Commission Wales with the level of specification sought after is of serious concern.”
It would consequently appear that, once again, the non-existent border with England is perceived as an insuperable obstacle to those who are responsible for funding the care of patients suffering from the most debilitating of conditions.
This is, quite simply, a scandal and is not what devolution was supposed to be about.
5 comments:
This is, quite simply, a scandal and is not what devolution was supposed to be about.
Sadly, it was what many of us predicted would happen though.
And again ,sadly there is no quick fix, indeed I think we are stuck with such situations for many years, if not ever.
Perhaps our leader will touch upon this subject at the conference?
Do you know David, 99% of us will not even know who the Conservative spokesman on health will even be at the Assembly?
How sad is that?
At least you are doing your bit by highlighting this dire situations.
Sadly once you give life to an entity such as the Welsh Assembly, you lose control over how it should think and act.
Life changes forever and we have to put up with a new regime with all its ideas and thirst for power.
What is the point of politics?
What do the Politicians really do beside play politics with us and our lifes?
Sometimes there seems little point to politics, but right now it is the best and only thing we have to get rid of these Bastards!
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