Madam,

I must declare a vested interest; I was diagnosed with Parkin - son’s Disease in 2007. Since then I have received consult - ant-led care under Dr P Jones’ Movement Disorder clinic at Bronglais Hospital and, until recently, with the support of a Parkinson’s specialist nurse.

I believe that I have received excellent care throughout this period and that it is this expertise which keeps me feeling so well. However, since the retirement of the specialist nurse some months ago, no-one has been successfully appointed to the new post.

One contributory factor may be Hywel Dda’s decision that the new post be designated ‘nurse practitioner’. From a personal point of view, I am concerned that the appointment of a nurse practitioner would reduce the consultant input.

From a nurse’s point of view I could imagine that they would view this move as another attempt to get a quart out of a pint pot, looking to save money by placing yet more responsibilities on those on the front line, whether it is taking on duties previously done in part by a consultant or expecting general nurses on medical and surgical wards to nurse dementia patients as Enlli Ward is subsumed under the replacement Y Banwy unit.

From a Parkinson’s patient’s standpoint, I wonder if Hywel Dda would be able to secure an adequate service, given the current lack of a specialist nurse, if for instance we were also to lose the consultant?

Yours etc, George Holloway Rhoshendre, Waunfawr, Aberystwyth.

Have your say on the local issues affecting you - email [email protected] or join in the conversation on our Facebook page