Editor,

I recently attended a public meeting addressed by Peter Skitt, county director for Ceredigion at Hywel Dda University Health Board.

The topics discussed included measures at Bronglais Hospital to shorten the time spent by patients between admission and discharge.

Mr Skitt indicated that plans were progressing, despite some difficulties with refurbishment and some difficulties with the new working arrangements, in relation to the amalgamation of Enlli unit (dementia care) and Y Banwy unit (for patients awaiting discharge), an arrangement set to lose 8 to 10 hospital beds.

At a time when the Senedd is “very concerned that the proposed funding for primary care will not be sufficient to meet that objective” and is set to debate the current primary care model, isn’t it better that all parties pause and take stock?

Surely one partner pushing ahead while the other is experiencing profound problems with recruitment and retention in home care, is a strategy which risks many vulnerable people being left without appropriate support?

With the home care service in Ceredigion currently in crisis, and the required joint working between Hywel Dda health board and the county council seeming more in thought than deed presently, can discharged patients be guaranteed the necessary support?

Mr Skitt, referring to the issue of recruitment, mentioned the possibility of Hywel Dda recruiting health care assistants to work in the community. He said he is confident of recruitment as their terms and conditions of employment exceed those of the private sector.

Doesn’t that just mean that, instead of increasing the pool of domiciliary care workers, the existing care workers will just migrate to Hywel Dda?

On the point of unilaterally developing community services Mr Skitt, however, declared himself to be a ‘risk taker’ and stated that his unpopular decision to close Cardigan Hospital has been vindicated by the imminent opening of a new Integrated Care Centre in the town.

I agree that change requires individuals with talent and flair and new ideas, but in this instance when considering the balance between progress and the risk of discharging people to over-stretched community services, the likelihood of it being Mr Skitt unconscious, or worse, at the foot of the stairs is remote. The real risk is borne by the vulnerable people being discharged.

George Holloway, Rhoshendre, Waunfawr, Aberystwyth

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