CEREDIGION County Council could have been given the powers to directly run nursing homes including Bodlondeb in Penparcau three years ago, but the Labour Welsh Government refused the opportunity, according to AM Elin Jones.

Miss Jones said she warned the Labour Welsh Government that they risked preventing the development of integrated health and social care during the process of passing the Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Act, 2014.

Seeking to amend the bill, Miss Jones who was Plaid Cymru’s health spokesperson at the time, placed amendments to enable councils to directly employ nurses on two occasions during the scrutiny stage.

On both occasions, the deputy minister spoke against the amendments and whipped the Labour Party to vote with the Conservatives and reject Miss Jones’s calls.

Miss Jones said this week: “There was no reason to place a clause to ban county councils from employing nurses in the Social Services and Well-Being Bill legislation in 2014. I sought to get rid of this clause, but was twice voted down by the Labour Government.

“I believe strongly in integrating Health and Social Care, and in breaking down the barriers that exist between local authorities and local health boards. All my experience in Ceredigion tells me that this would be a good thing. That’s why I sought to amend the Social Services Act to stop local authorities from being prohibited from employing nurses.

“Ceredigion County Council would have far more options at their disposal if they could run nursing and residential care and run properly integrated care homes catering for the needs of 21st century care."

Miss Jones and MP Ben Lake have now urged the Welsh Government to provide more funding for council-run care homes after calling for more to be done to help protect homes like Bodlondeb.

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