North Ceredigion Forum for Older People’s Care members heard from Melanie Walters, carers and communities co-ordinator, about Ceredigion council’s Aging Well Strategy at their recent meeting.

Members were invited to consider three questions in discussion – What’s good about ageing in Ceredigion? What’s bad about ageing in Ceredigion? And how can we make Ceredigion a better place?

Members had heard rumours that the former Bodlondeb care home had been sold subject to contract to, and members agreed to monitor the situation.

The forum was very concerned to hear about the possibility of the closure of the Borth surgery, a surgery covering a very large area of north Ceredigion.

Mark Williams, forum chair and Borth resident, said: “The North Ceredigion Forum for Older People’s Care are in full support of Borth Surgery and the value it also brings to this area.

“We urge Hywel Dda University Board to increase and ramp up the search for a new GP so that the surgery’s excellent work can continue.”

Forum secretary Pat Bates, also a member of the Community Health Council, reported she has received a number of complaints from concerned residents about the movement of the dermatology clinic to Llanelli, and the huge challenges this would create for many local residents.

Pam Hughes reported that Ceredigion’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 18 January had received an update on the Cylch Caron project.

The lack of progress on this issue has been a long-standing concern of the forum.

Members noted that the project “would deliver a single GP surgery, community pharmacy, outpatient clinic, community nursing and social care facilities, as well as extra care housing”, but “that as a replacement for Tregaron Hospital and Bryntirion Care Home” this project would actually represent a loss of hospital beds and the loss of an excellent residential care home.

Members noted that many years of delay and prevarication, as well as wastage of public money, meant Cylch Caron stills remains nothing more than an empty field, despite the promises made to the people of Tregaron.

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