Madam,

The Cambrian News recently carried two articles covering announcements by Hywel Dd:; ‘Bronglais Hospital to get new chemotherapy ward’ and ‘More beds planned for dementia ward’.

It’s welcome to get positive news from Hywel Dda, but are they giving us the whole picture?

The new chemo unit will provide vital health care, but will displace y Banwy, a 12-bed unit only two years old, for people who no longer need to be in-patients but who await a package of care.

There is no word about where these people will now be accommodated and, at the time of writing, an email request on 29 July by the North Ceredigion Forum for Elderly Care to senior management at Bronglais for more details has yet to receive a response.

Regarding the extra dementia care beds, the fact that they are ‘short term’ rather than permanent and that emphasis is being placed on the ‘outreach service’ and ‘integrated care’ would seem to indicate greater provision of dementia care in the community.

Joe Teape, Hywel Dda’s director of operations, talks of following ‘a new model of care’ for dementia patients.

It would be helpful if this new model of care were identified and information provided on where it has been implemented and how successful it has been.

Recently, Hywel Dda made a request that relatives collect patients in a timely manner and be prepared to provide care until the care package can begin, which could be at least a week. Let’s hope that this announcement is not pushing that agenda still further by obliging families and friends who may be already at breaking point to provide all manner of care to patients with significant health needs either physical, dementia- related or both for an indeterminate length of time awaiting statutory care services.

Many people are aware of the shift in health care from hospitals to community services and it would be helpful if announcements from Hywel Dda would be explicit about this, rather than appear to hedge around the issue.

Yours etc, George Holloway, on behalf of North Ceredigion Forum for Elderly Care.

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