Two Mid Wales town councils unite to fight for better healthcare provision

Llandrindod Wells Town Council agreed to invite other town and community councils to join them so they can lobby the Welsh Government for improved services.

They took the action after hearing about ‘bargain basement’ treatment for Powys patients, the longer waiting times for Powys patients and English District General Hospitals and ‘horror stories’ from local residents.

At the end of last year Llandrindod Wells Mayor Councillor Steve Deeks-D’Silva warned residents “Don’t be ill,” and Councillor Jamie Jones was he had been told of many ‘horror stories’ as he talks to people in the area.

“The NHS is in such an awful place with ambulances not being available, the distances people have to travel to get access to health services, the delays in treatment for Powys patients – it is really creating a two tier system across Mid Wales,” he said.

Councillor Steve Deeks-D’Silva said one resident had written in about her mother who had spent five nights in Hereford Hospital with acute back and knee pain and felt her mother was given a poorer bed because she came from Powys and she got ‘the bargain basement version of what other patients were getting’.

Councillor Deeks-D’Silva said: “This is what we have to expect now as residents, it’s shocking and the only thing I can say is ‘don’t get ill’.”

Builth Wells Town Council discussed the matter at a recent meeting and were told that it was hoped to hold an initial meeting of councils in Spring.

Councillor Reverend Janet Day said although she could understand what Llandrindod Wells are trying to do, she said there is just not the population in Powys to have a district general hospital.

Builth Wells Mayor Councillor Mark Hammond said: “Powys patients are now waiting 104 weeks for healthcare over the border whilst English patients will get the same treatment in 24 to 48 weeks.

“We will never get a district general hospital but we need to try and get district general type services brought in.

“A lot of stroke services could move further south and we need to be doing something, if we don’t push now before the Senedd elections and a year before Powys County Council elections, these politicians will not bother with us afterwards. We have something they want at the moment – votes.

“We have multiple charities all doing the same sort of things.

“I think this is a great idea from Llandrindod Wells Town Council – a race to the bottom is not the way to deal with health services. The health board is spending thousands on salaries instead of investing in the health services.”

Members agreed to join with Llandrindod Wells Town Council to fight for improved health services.