Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) chief executive Gary Doherty has said he wouldn’t want his family “waiting as long as some patients” during an exclusive interview with North Wales Live. He also revealed the health authority would be seeking a “troubleshooter” to help to get it out of special measures. On waiting times he said: “I don’t believe we are where I would want to be because I wouldn’t want my family waiting as long as some people are waiting for care.”
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Four years after being placed into special measure, Betsi Cadwaladr Health board is still in the same situation. Whether on finances, targets, or even infrastructure, it is failing people across north Wales. In a recent Senedd debate, Welsh Conservative leader Paul Davies said: “The reality on the ground is that whilst report after report criticises both the health board and the Welsh Government, real people in north Wales are simply not receiving the care they need and deserve.”
Theresa May has announced that all teachers will be trained to spot the early signs of mental health issues in children and NHS staff will be encouraged to learn about suicide prevention. The training for all new teachers will be backed up by updated statutory guidance to make clear schools’ responsibilities to protect children’s mental wellbeing. These new initiatives will be funded from the long-term increase in NHS spending announced last year.
Residents have been moved from a north Wales care home says a joint statement from Wrexham County Borough Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The joint statement given to Wrexham.com reads: “Due to increasing concerns about the safety and wellbeing of residents at Wrexham Care Centre we have collectively taken the decision to terminate our contract with this provider.
A new health and social care bill, which would require NHS organisations to be “open and honest” when things go wrong, has been introduced to the Welsh parliament by Vaughan Gething AM, Minister for Health and Social Services.
Breathe Easy Week. This month, from 17-23 June, The British Lung Foundation is making a big noise about lung health. Help spread the word and encourage people to love their lungs and raise awareness of lung conditions this June.
MAMA Academy produce a bi-monthly newsletter which covers such topics including: #CarryTheirNames campaign, updates on the Wellbeing Wallets, fundraising news and many useful articles for both health professionals and families.
Conservative leader Paul Davies, during the latest sitting of the Welsh Parliament, refers to Betsi Cadwaladr health board – which has been under partial Welsh Government control since a report in June 2017. He says 70,000 people have had to wait more than six weeks for their outpatient appointment. “Having a health board in special measures means things should be getting better”, but he says they are getting worse. “There is no specific plan, no timeline,” he says. “Who is accountable?”
The Four Streets Project, homelessness charity in Chichester, is appealing for donations of in-date food following the closure of Eat, in the city centre. Donna Ockenden, Four Street founder, appealed for provisions “We do urgently need a replacement for the loss of Eat and we are keen to hear from local businesses who feel that at the end of a typical day, our volunteers could come and collect in-date food that could be used that evening”. The volunteers go out into the city centre 365 nights a year providing care and essentials to those people sleeping rough.
More than 1,000 people are now registered as qualified nursing associates less than six months since this new professional role joined the health and care workforce. The England-only role bridges the gap between healthcare assistants and registered nurses, offering new career opportunities to thousands of professionals, and contributing to the delivery of better, safer care for people across the country in a variety of health and social care settings.
Overseas nurses are turning their backs on their medical career in Britain and are now earning a living as a nanny or a waiter. The Times reports that the registration process and its associated costs is making it difficult for these workers. Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive of the NMC, said the process had to be rigorous but that they have “been working hard over the last 18 months to make the process as simple, straightforward and cost effective as possible”.
The Daily Post reports that more than 27,000 people in North Wales have waited more than a year for follow-up appointments at North Wales hospitals. The average length of time patients wait between signing in and being either admitted or discharged from Emergency Departments in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Wrexham Maelor has more than doubled in the last five years.