Madam,

I feel that I have been silent for too long, issues have come and gone and quite frankly, I ask myself whether public opinion makes one iota of difference, however, I feel compelled to enter into the fray in respect of Bodlondeb.

An ongoing and vitriolic confrontation between Ceredigion County Council (or the executive thereof) and the pragmatic dedicated and altruistic members of the local community whose entire being is focused upon fighting any further depletion of services for the elderly, vulnerable and quite frankly ostracised section of the community.

I use the term ostracised by virtue of the dictionary definition “excluded from a society or group”. That is in effect what is happening to the elderly and vulnerable with regards to caring needs within this community of Ceredigion.

I know some of the protagonists, such as Dai ‘Dogs’ Thomas, Pat Bates, both of whom fight tirelessly for the betterment of others. I dearly wish I could be more positive as to the outcomes for those embroiled in the struggle with ‘the establishment’ in their efforts to achieve a judicious outcome for the vulnerable within the community, unfortunately, decisions have already been made, regardless of the commitment to consult.

The council Cabinet has clearly indicated their overall plan over the last few years: outsource or degrade services for the vulnerable and elderly at every opportunity regardless of the consequences or the impact upon the community they purport to represent.

That has been the council Cabinet in action over recent years. In direct contrast has been the overt initiatives by Hywel Dda University Health Board; get them out of stage two care (hospitalisation) and into stage three (care in the community) as soon as is possible, it matters not whether there is an infrastructure within the community to accommodate even routine needs. Once they are out of hospital, Hywel Dda does not have to pay, it is protecting its ‘budgets’ by getting the vulnerable out of hospital and into a potentially unprotected environment.

Ceredigion council does not want the financial commitment for social care, evidenced by their shedding of corporate responsibility for third party care, and worst of all, the two ‘combative factions’ in this abrogation of corporate responsibility do not even communicate effectively.

The only opportunity for improvement of what is currently an untenable situation lies in legislative intervention and the amalgamation of funding for health and social care across all three elements of healthcare provision.

There has been progress in this direction with recent legislation imposing a closer co-operation between health and social care but it will only achieve its objective when the financial disbursement across the board is managed by one authority.

The shame is that the movers and shakers in this constant struggle for monetary parsimony will never be affected by the outcomes because their protected salaries, pensions and health care packages will always raise them above the needs of funded care.

Yours etc,

Allan Phillips, New Quay.

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