Llanidloes Hospital March 28/10/06
There was a turnout of nearly a 1000 people in Llanidloes to protest about
the proposals of the Powys LHB to effectively close the town's
community hospital. The anger of the populace who feel that they
have been deceived over the years by the LHB particularly over
the last 18 months ensured that the rally was extremely well
attended despite the poor weather.
The rally was organised by the Save Llanidloes Hospital Action Team, and the chair of the group Mr John Wilden acted as MC and delivered the first speech.
He had admitted earlier to having had tears of frustration and anger when writing it, such is his depth of feeling regarding the hospital and it was clear by the reaction during his speech that his sentiments were shared by all there.
His speech was followed by Dr Steve Leslie, senior partner of the Arwystli General Practice who expressed the very profound concerns that all members of the practice have regarding the disastrous effects that closure of the hospital would have on the delivery of health care locally. He stressed the concerns that the LHB had not conducted any meaningful consultations with either the local community or with the practice and had not carried out any analysis on the effect both locally and across Powys of the closure of community hospitals. He also stated that there were grave concerns at the complete failure of the LHB to put in place any viable plans to meet the health needs of the community in the event of the hospital closure.
The concerns highlighted by Dr Leslie were then developed on by the next speaker Dr Chris Overton, a consultant from Withybush who is leading the opposition to the plans to downgrade and merge services fro m that hospital with Carmarthen. Dr Overton stated that he felt that the proposals in many areas across Wales did not reflect the realities of rural populations.
The next speech was from Lembit Opik MP who said that he owed his life to prompt treatment received in Llanidloes Hospital following an accident and that he would do everything in his power to resist the plans of the LHB. He again returned to the theme of poor consultation from Powys LHB and the need to fight to preserve the services of local communities.
Mr Mick Bates AM followed and he stressed again the feeling that the LHB had failed in its duty to consult properly regarding the proposals for health provision. Once more he stressed the issues of rurality and the difficulty that patients and relatives would have in accessing services if they were moved elsewhere. He said how strongly he felt that patients should be given the right to die with dignity in their local hospital.
Further speeches returned to the themes of lack of consultation and failure to
address the needs and wishes of the local community. The issue of rurality recurred
again and again with all speakers believing that the proposals of the LHB had
failed to address this and that the health care needs of rural communities were
being "shoe-horned" to fit templates designed for more urban regions.
The crowd was also reminded that there were other communities across Powys that were facing the effective closure of their hospitals and that we should give our support to the communities served by Bronllys, Builth and Knighton Hospitals, and this was met with the wholehearted approval of the considerable audience. One speaker Mr David Senior, prospective Plaid candidate, expressed the support that the Town Council and people of Welshpool had for the campaign in Llanidloes as they had significant fears that the LHB would seek to close or cut services at their hospital in the future and that the current proposals were the first step along the way.
All the speakers were given rousing receptions from the assembled crowd who then formed to march down to the hospital.
The march was led by many young children from the town along with Lembit Opik and Mick Bates. The march was accompanied by the sounds of local musicians and slogans demanding the retention of the hospital.
En route to the hospital the extent of the turn-out became clearer and the spread of age-groups reflected the very high regard that the local hospital is held within the town, and the talk was of continuing the fight as far as the Welsh Assembly Government such is the outrage at the failure of the LHB to consult, listen or plan with any degree of competence.
Once the march had arrived at the hospital the crowd formed a human ring around the building to protect the services that are of paramount importance to the local community.
The community calls on the LHB to keep this hospital open, to consult openly without contempt for the views of the clinicians and community, to take proper account of the issues of rurality and to build on the services provided to improve the healthcare of the area not condemn it to second rate provision.
The community offers its support to those across Powys who also have their services
threatened too: Builth Wells, Bronllys and Knighton.
Report from DD (north)