By Veronica German AM, on February 8th, 2011
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have renewed calls for the Welsh Assembly Government to act quickly to ensure that Welsh victims of the contaminated blood scandal receive the same compensation as those in England.
Last month, the UK government confirmed that payments to people in England who contracted Hepatitis C as a result of being given contaminated blood products would be significantly increased.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats, who are leading a debate on the issue in the Assembly tomorrow, have been vocal campaigners for justice for the victims of the scandal which saw thousands of people contract Hepatitis C and HIV as a result of being given contaminated blood by the NHS.
Despite the Welsh Assembly Government promise to make a statement on the matter, there has been no announcement about their intentions.
Veronica German, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister commented:
“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have repeatedly called for the Assembly Government to provide Welsh victims of the contaminated blood scandal with the same compensation as those in England. The Assembly Government needs to listen to the strong views on this issue and ensure that Welsh victims are not going to be left behind.
“We are facing the horrendous possibility that Welsh victims from this tragedy could be treated worse than those victims who live in England.
“We sought an immediate statement to reassure all those Welsh victims and their families that swift action will be taken but one month on we have heard nothing.
“In our debate tomorrow, the Minister must take the opportunity to make an unequivocal statement that Welsh victims and their families are to receive the same support as those in England.”
The full UK review can be found at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_123363
More information on the contaminated blood scandal can be found at:
http://www.taintedblood.info/index.php
By Veronica German AM, on February 7th, 2011
The Welsh Liberal Democrats today called for a revolution in social care to end the ‘one size fits all’ approach that ensures that many in Wales do not receive care packages appropriate to their needs. Instead, the Welsh Liberal Democrats will make a tailored social care a priority in their election manifesto, using personal budgets to ensure that individuals can choose their own care package.
Personal budgets give people and their carers greater choice and control over the social care services they receive. Users can tailor services to meet their specific needs. Welsh Liberal Democrats have also pledged to reform the regulations to give patients greater flexibility over what they can spend their care money on.
This approach can have huge benefits to people who need care. For example Lynn uses her personal budget to pay for an epilepsy seizure alert dog. It means she can now live independently, knowing that her dog will alert her to telltale signs of a seizure so she can get to a safe place free of hazards.
Commenting Veronica German AM, Welsh Liberal Democrats’ Shadow Health Minister said:
“Social care is a vital service for many older, disabled and vulnerable people. It embraces the most intimate care and support for people at times of greatest need. How well we look after each other says a great deal about the strength and character of our society.
“Often people in Wales find the social care system confusing, inflexible and not suited to their needs. That’s not good enough. Welsh Liberal Democrats want to offer more choice, control and flexibility over care.
“Labour and Plaid have left Wales in the position where we are the worst nation for allowing people to pick their own social care. Although there is a direct payment system, take up is appallingly low and many are not getting the kind of personal care package that they need.
“The Welsh Liberal Democrats will offer everyone receiving social care through the NHS or their local council the opportunity to use personal budgets so that they can chose the kind of care they need, when they need it.
“Too many people are stuck receiving care that is just not right for them. Under Welsh Liberal Democrat proposals we will make sure that we change social care so that it treats people as individuals, offering them the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Notes to Editors:
Personal budgets deliver the personalisation of care services by allocating a budget that people can control themselves. They can then decide how to spend this to meet their assessed eligible care needs and agreed outcomes, in line with a personalised support plan. The allocated budget may be taken as cash (a direct payment) or as a service managed on their behalf where they have choice and control over how the funding for their care is spent, and can be used to design and purchase support from the public, private and third sectors, increasing people’s autonomy over their care and support.
By Veronica German AM, on February 3rd, 2011
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales East, Veronica German has welcomed a new report published by the National Autistic Society Cymru (NAS Cymru) into services for people affected by autism, and has called on the Welsh Assembly Government and local authorities to continue to develop autism support in Wales.
Titled The Life We Choose: Shaping Autism Services in Wales, the report reveals that many people affected by autism say that their needs are still not being met. For example, 54% of adults with autism who were surveyed said that they were not getting all of the services and support that they needed.*
The report is based on a consultation period in 2010 with hundreds of people affected by autism in Wales, including individuals and their families, parents and carers, and professionals. It demonstrates that while a lot of good progress has been made across the country, many people still say that a lack of available services and professional understanding, an inflexible system, and not knowing how to access support remain key barriers.
Veronica has also subscribed to a statement of opinion in support of the Life We Choose report.
She said “Autism is a lifelong condition and something which has an impact on the entire family. 59% of parents and carers said that a lack of timely support had resulted in higher support needs in the longer term. We can save money in the long run by better services now.”
In 2008, the Welsh Assembly Government launched its ASD Strategic Action Plan, which outlined how government and local agencies would seek to meet the needs of people with autism and their families. This ten year strategy is coming to the end of its third year of implementation. The Life We Choose report highlights a number of examples of promising work in Wales which have been developed since this strategy was published, but has warned that progress may be put in jeopardy if the strategy is not backed with suitable funds and expertise in the coming years.
Rebecca Evans, NAS Cymru Policy and Public Affairs Officer said:
“Our report is based on the largest ever study of the views and experiences of people affected by autism in Wales. The research highlights a number of fundamental problems that many people face, such as the difficulty in accessing diagnosis, gaps in awareness of autism in schools, the struggle to get services and support from adult social services, and a lack of autism-appropriate respite provision. With the initial three-year implementation phase of the ASD Strategic Action Plan coming to an end, we reach a critical milestone and it is vital the Assembly Government and local authorities do not allow the momentum to be lost.”
By Veronica German AM, on February 1st, 2011
Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister, Veronica German, has today called for the Assembly Government to produce a strategic Action plan to address the backlog of NHS repairs.
Speaking in a debate on the Labour-Plaid Government’s Capital Programme, Ms German called for an Action Plan for the Assembly to debate. This plan, Ms German argued, should prioritise two areas – hospitals with significant risk and hospitals with poor accessibility.
Ms German, Assembly Member for South Wales East, commented:
“There is a legacy of years of neglect in our NHS with over £400 million worth of repairs and a series of reports that confirm that targets are once again being missed, it is obvious leadership is needed now more than ever. Rather than the policy-by-headlines approach that this Government so far has lead the NHS in Wales with, Labour and Plaid urgently need a strategic Action Plan.
“Nearly half the NHS repairs backlog represents repairs that are needed to protect from risks that are deemed either a significant or high risk. This Labour-Plaid Government is letting NHS staff and patients down with their failure to ensure their safety.
“Just as concerning is the issue of disabled access to the NHS. The Government’s own report proves that over £16 million is needed to bring the NHS in Wales in compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act. These hospitals are, in effect, discriminating against disabled people. The Act was passed back in 2004, how much longer do people with disabilities have to wait until they are treated as equals in our NHS?”
By Veronica German AM, on January 28th, 2011
 Veronica in recording studio at Skills and Development Centre Assembly Member for South Wales East, Veronica German, recently visited Scope Cymru’s Skills and Development Centre in Cwmbran. The centre supports people with cerebral palsy and other physical and learning impairments in and around the Gwent area.
Speaking after the visit, Veronica German commented:
“I really enjoyed meeting the people Scope Cwmbran Adult Service supports and talking to the staff about the challenges involved in delivering such services.
“Scope Cwmbran Adult Service sets up a number of brilliant activities ranging from cookery classes, IT classes, and adult education classes, as well as many others – all of which look to be great fun! The centre has a really fantastic atmosphere and it’s great that people at the centre and can choose and develop their individual lifestyles helping them to lead independent lives. Services like these provide an essential role, helping to support some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”
Jane Coia, manager of Cwmbran Skills Development Centre run by disability charity Scope said:
“We’re delighted that Veronica German AM took the time to come and see the work we do to support disabled people in Cwmbran. Decisions taken by politicians in the National Assembly can greatly affect the services that disabled people receive and therefore the work that we do at Scope. We hope that coming to visit us will give Veronica a better understanding of disabled people’s lives so she can ensure their views are represented across the assembly.”
By Veronica German AM, on January 25th, 2011
Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Health and Wellbeing Veronica German AM has today responded to the ministerial statement from the Health Minister on the effect the recent bad weather had on the Welsh Health Service.
Ms German Commented: “I welcome today’s statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services and the establishment of the ‘Choose Well’ campaign. Any campaign which helps direct people to the most appropriate service when they feel unwell is a positive step.
“I would also like to pay tribute to all health service staff in Wales, who worked incredibly hard to deliver vital services in such difficult conditions.
“Whilst I accept that the extreme weather will inevitably slow services down and prevent targets being met it provides no explanation for every other month of the year.
“The Labour-Plaid Government is using the hard winter as an excuse for consistent failures to meet their own NHS targets. From the 80,000 lost ambulance hours leading to the inability to meet ambulance response time targets, this Government is not delivering the Health Service Wales needs.”
By Veronica German AM, on January 24th, 2011
Figures released by the Welsh Government today reveal that an unacceptable 3,208 patients waited more than eight hours in Welsh A&E departments during December 2010, up more than double the number last December.
The figures also reveal that 11,318 of those patients had to wait more than four hours in A&E. This latest information demonstrates that there are serious problems within the A&E departments in the Welsh NHS.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats exposed at the beginning of the week how Welsh ambulances lost 80,000 hours waiting to discharge their patients to the care of A&E departments.
Labour-Plaid Government set targets were not achieved at the all-Wales level and no NHS Trust met either the four hour or the eight hour target.
Veronica German, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister said:
“These statistics clearly show that the Labour-Plaid Health Minister does not have a handle on our A&E departments. On Monday, we exposed the scandal of the 80,000 hours that ambulances had to wait outside A&E departments and now we can see why they waste so much time –the A&E departments are not coping. It is unacceptable that these people had to wait more than eight hours to be seen and treated.
“We hear of terrible stories of people having to wait on trollies in corridors and ambulances and having to wait more than eight hours to be treated. The Health Minister knows that this is going on but we see that nothing is being done to address these problems. The NHS in Wales gets proportionally more money than the NHS in England however we have a poorer health service.
“There is a systemic failure in the way the NHS in Wales deals with emergency and unscheduled care. It is not the fault of the hard working paramedics, it is not the fault of the dedicated medical staff at our A&E hospitals, but it is the fault of the Labour-Plaid Health Minister and her poor management and running of the whole system.
“While these statistics do not paint the whole picture about what goes in A&E given that cases are dealt with according to their medical priority, and rightly so, we can see that the NHS in Wales is being let down by this Labour-Plaid Government”
Stats can be found here http://wales.gov.uk/docs/statistics/2011/110120sdr122011en.pdf
By Veronica German AM, on January 18th, 2011
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister, Veronica German, has today requested the Labour-Plaid Government to publish monthly figures illustrating the number of hours of emergency ambulance cover are being lost in hospitals while crews wait to hand patients over to hospital staff.
In todays First Minister’s Questions, Ms German challenged the First Minister over his Government’s disastrous handling of the NHS in Wales and asked him to publish monthly statistics illustrating the number of ‘lost ambulance hours’. The First Minister has still not agreed to publish the figures, despite stating in a previous First Minister’s Questions that he would publish the figures if they were available for him to do so.
Ms German, Assembly Member for South Wales East, commented:
“I think even the Labour-Plaid Government would have to accept that the figures released yesterday were truly a damning report on their handling of our National Health Service. Over the last two years, over eighty thousand hours have been wasted while ambulances are waiting to discharge their patients.
“To obtain these figures we had to submit a Freedom of Information request. To see new figures, we would have to do the same again. It hardly needs pointing out how essential these statistics are to the people of Wales in seeing how well the NHS responds to accidents and emergencies. So why is it that the First Minister refused to say that his Government will agree to publish these figures on a monthly basis?
“I have in the past challenged the First Minister on this issue and he said that the ambulance service is making good progress. We all know that just isn’t the case. The ambulance service has indeed improved over the last year, but these figures illustrate the enormous problem that the Welsh NHS faces. How can this government hope to address the situation when it seems determined not to allow anyone to see the relevant statistics?”
Notes:
First Minister’s Questions Tuesday 23rd November 2010:
Peter Black: You will be aware that I have raised with you previously the issue of the accident and emergency units at Morriston Hospital and the Princess of Wales Hospital, particularly the fact that they are not meeting their four-hour target. On at least one occasion, 10 ambulances were held in line outside Morriston Hospital, waiting to offload patients. Will you publish the number of hours lost by ambulances as a result of these logjams at accident and emergency departments, and of the failure to meet the four-hour target?
The First Minister: If it is possible to provide such figures, I see no reason why they cannot be provided to you.
http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-rop.htm?act=dis&id=203752&ds=11/2010
By Veronica German AM, on January 17th, 2011
WHAT do you do when you or one of your family feels unwell?
Do you try to treat yourself? Ring NHS Direct? Book an appointment with your GP?
You may even decide the only option is to visit the emergency department or perhaps a minor injuries unit more suitable.
The default is very often the GP surgery, especially when we aren’t sure of what to do and what other choices are available but this may not necessarily be the most appropriate place to go.
In Wales we need to have more information available to signpost us to the best route for treatment when we fall ill or suffer an injury.
It can be incredibly confusing, particularly at the weekends to know what to do and where to go. If we want to see our emergency departments working more efficiently we must ensure that it is only patients who require urgent care who attend them.
There is much good work being carried out in ensuring that non urgent cases are referred elsewhere by the ambulance call centres, but there is more to be done.
We also know that there are a range of highly-skilled health professionals in our communities such as pharmacists, optometrists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and community nurses, but we don’t always make full use of their expertise or we simply don’t know how to access their services.
Last week I met with community pharmacists who had some exciting and innovative ideas for extending the services to patients.
Pharmacists are the medicines experts available on every high street, so we should use them more.
One of their ideas is to roll out a minor ailments scheme where the pharmacist can prescribe for certain conditions.
This in turn could substantially reduce pressures on appointments at GP surgeries and this has been operating successfully in my region, Torfaen.
It has given patients access to treatment when it is needed, seven days a week in their local community. Essentially this service gives GPs the opportunity to deal with more serious problems and illnesses.
Not only that, Community Pharmacy claim that such a scheme could save up to £30m a year.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy is another organisation that is campaigning for improved direct access to healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
Self-referral gets faster access, without increased cost, and early intervention for lower back pain, for example, which can reduce recurrences and prevent lost working days and even more GP appointments.
It is patient centred, it saves valuable GP time. A self-referral pilot scheme is already running in Bridgend with some excellent results.
I see absolutely no reason why it can’t be delivered across Wales. It has the potential to benefit so many people in so many ways, both patients and healthcare professionals.
It’s a new year and a new chance to work hard to deliver a Health Service that really works. In the coming months I will be continuing to campaign to get the best out of the Welsh Health Service.
Article printed in the Western Mail
By Veronica German AM, on January 17th, 2011
Shocking figures uncovered by the Welsh Liberal Democrats have revealed that tens of thousands of hours of emergency ambulance cover are being lost in Welsh NHS hospitals while crews wait to hand patients over to hospital staff.
Over the last two years, an outrageous 80,404 hours (3350 days or 9 years) have been wasted while ambulances are waiting to discharge their patients.
Guidelines set by the Health Minister currently state that the wait to hand over responsibility of a patient to nursing staff should be no longer than 20 minutes, but the target is clearly not being met.
Across Wales, the Royal Gwent Hospital was the worst performer amassing a staggering 15,909 lost hours with Morriston Hospital following with 11,962 lost hours and UHW wasting 9,986 hours. The Welsh Ambulance Service calculates that the cost of a ‘lost unit hour’ is £76 which means that time wasted in A&E hospitals cost the NHS over £6,000,000 over past two years.
Apart from causing distress to the patient waiting to be transferred to the A&E department, pressure is put on ambulance crews to respond to other emergency calls in the area.
Veronica German, Welsh Liberal Democrats Shadow Health Minister said:
“These figures are absolutely shocking. This proves that there is systemic failure in the way the Welsh NHS handles emergency situations. Month after month, we see that Welsh patients have to wait an unacceptable amount of time for ambulances to respond to emergency call-outs and now we see that ambulances have to wait an unacceptable amount of time to transfer patients and get back on the road to respond to emergency calls.
“Lost ambulance hours is a huge problem for the Welsh NHS and the figures uncovered by the Welsh Liberal Democrats reveal that the problem is getting worse. Not only are patients waiting in the ambulance to be discharged to the care of the A&E department, other patients across the region are waiting longer for an ambulance to arrive because they are stuck in the hospital.
“When I challenged the First Minister on this issue he said that the ambulance service is making good progress. There is no doubt that the service has improved its own operations and has dedicated crews working extremely hard in difficult circumstances. But it is clear that ambulances cannot attend calls if they are queuing outside hospitals. Year on year, more ambulances have to wait outside A&E department to discharge their patients. This is not an issue for the ambulance service but for the whole of the NHS in Wales. This is a totally unacceptable situation and it must change.
“On top of the staggering wasted ambulances hours across Wales, it is estimated that over £6 million was lost to the Welsh NHS over the last two years because of queuing ambulances. We should be looking for savings is the NHS not wasting money.
“I will be raising this very urgent matter with the First Minister and the Health Minister to ensure that the hard work of the emergency services is not thwarted by poor organisation and poor management of our NHS under this Labour-Plaid government.”
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