'People are not accessing care in hospital quickly enough.'

MS for North Wales

During a meeting with the Stroke Association, the key concern raised was that people are not accessing care in hospital quickly enough.

The most recent assessed grades by the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SNNAP), covering July to September 2022, which are scored A to E for each stroke unit, showed overall grades of ‘D’ at Wrexham Maelor and Glan Clwyd Hospitals, and ‘E’ at Gwynedd Hospital’.

The SSNAP also graded the hospitals with grades of E’ (Wrexham Maelor), ‘E’ (Glan Clwyd) ‘and ‘C’ (Gwynedd) for ‘Admission to Stroke Units’.

Although quicker admission to stroke units improves a stroke patient’s outcomes, admission to stroke units in Wales is consistently slower than in other parts of the UK, and both Wrexham Maelor and Glan Clwyd Hospitals were slower than the Wales average.

We also discussed Welsh Government proposals for the future of Stroke Services and the need to ensure that every stroke patient in Wales has equitable access to stroke acute services, wherever they live.

The meeting was also attended by a Stroke survivor member of ‘Chatterboxes’ Buckley Communication Group, who shared his experience. ‘Chatterboxes’ is a communication support group offering help to people who have had a brain injury or stroke and may be experiencing language difficulties and aphasia, volunteer-led and affiliated to the Stroke Association.

In a meeting with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s Assistant Director of Public Affairs and Partnerships, and CAHMS Associate Director in the east, we discussed issues relating to constituents living in the area and the wider position of the Health Board currently.

A Statement I received on behalf of all the former Independent Members of the Health Board after the Health Minister forced them to resign states 'We believe she is setting healthcare in North Wales back a decade', and includes 'Each CEO has told us that they have found the Executive Team unmanageable, made worse by ineffective workforce HR support. We therefore sought the advice of Welsh Government officials. On each occasion, as with all matters relating to the Executive Team, we are required to have explicit Welsh Government support and approval’ and ‘Some well-intentioned executives have been tarnished and undermined by the behaviours of their colleagues, such that the team itself became dysfunctional and ineffective as a group’.

Other engagements included a meeting with the Royal British Legion’s Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager Wales for an update on the Legion, and to discuss Veterans’ affairs and the Armed Forces Community in Wales.

For my help, email Mark.Isherwood@senedd.wales or call 0300 200 7219