New Cardigan Hospital will have beds if Elin becomes Minister
Elin Jones, Plaid Cymru candidate for Ceredigion, has pledged that if she is appointed Health Minister after the Welsh elections on May 5, the new Cardigan hospital would incorporate inpatient beds.
Building work on the replacement for the old Cardigan Hospital is due to start within the next year. However currently, it’s intended that inpatient bed capacity will be outsourced to voluntary and private providers, with the new development housing a range of primary and community care facilities.
Plaid Cymru commits to full railway feasibility study
Ceredigion’s local Plaid Cymru candidate Elin Jones has joined party leader Leanne Wood in meeting members of Trawslink Cymru, the campaign to re-establish north-south rail links in Wales.
A commitment to proceed with a full feasibility study on reopening the line from Aberystwyth to Tregaron, Lampeter and Carmarthen is included in Plaid Cymru’s manifesto for the Welsh elections on May 5, as part of a wider commitment to spread transport investment throughout the whole of Wales.
A way must be found to protect Bronglais bus routes
The reports that the Park and Ride is at risk is concerning, and has come as a shock to people who are frequent users of this service.
Elin Jones said; "I know of many people who rely on this service to get to the front door of Bronglais because parking is so problematic in the Penglais and Caradog Road areas. A lot of local people use this bus too to go around town and we need to ensure their needs are met by ongoing services. All of these issues need to be fully considered before any final decision is taken.
All organisations, the Health Board and Council in particular, need to ensure that the vital service of Bronglais Hospital transport is not lost. There must be full consultation on the future of the Park and Ride routes, and it’s important that a service that meets the needs of outpatients and visitors to the hospital continues."
Crisis in GP recruitment
Ceredigion’s Plaid Cymru AM Elin Jones has used the last debate of the current National Assembly to outline the urgent measures needed to address the lack of General Practitioners in rural Wales.
An important day for the NHS in Ceredigion
On Thursday, 24 March, the Health Minister visited Ceredigion to launch two new initiatives.
In the morning, at Aberystwyth Unviersity, the Centre for Excellence in Rural Healthcare was launched, which will help the Mid-Wales Collaborative build links with professional bodies and specialist researchers in planning our future NHS. In the afternoon, the Minister visited Tregaron to launch the Cylch Caron project, which will bring together hospital, residential care, primary care and a range of other functions in one modern building.
Campaign forces language standards review
Ceredigion’s Plaid Cymru AM Elin Jones has joined students from Aberystwyth and other universities in defeating part of the Welsh Government’s proposed ‘language standards’ on the use of Welsh in public bodies.
The standards as they relate to universities had been widely criticised by students’ unions and language campaigners. It was feared that they could weaken the rights students currently enjoy in Aberystwyth and elsewhere to live in designated Welsh-medium halls of residence. There were also concerns that the standards failed to mention the provision of Welsh lessons for learners, or IT support in the language.
A fair deal for people with dementia
Elin Jones has backed the Alzheimer’s Society’s campaign for a fair deal for people with dementia, as figures reveal that there are over 1,217 people in Ceredigion who have the condition. Elin has with representatives of the Alzheimers Society, and discussed their ‘45000 Reasons’ campaign for a comprehensive dementia strategy in Wales.
Plaid Cymru has firm plans to phase out social care charges for people with dementia.
'Clwb Ni' visits National Assembly
The pioneering 'Clwb Ni' project has been welcomed to the National Assembly by Elin Jones. The local AM said, "I was delighted to welcome members of Clwb Ni - a project which brings together schoolchildren and older people to share experiences - to Cardiff Bay." The project is run jointly by Tai Ceredigion and Plascrug School.
Elin Jones raises Aberystwyth Post Office in First Minister's Questions
Elin Jones has raised the campaign to stop the Post Office from being moved from its current location in Great Darkgate Street, with the First Minister in the Assembly this week. Click on the video link to hear what the First Minister had to say:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1WJ_jSd9Nk
Elin Jones reveals extent of cancelled NHS ops
A Freedom of Information request by Plaid Cymru has revealed that there were 174,996 cancelled operations at hospitals in Wales during 2013-14, 2014-15 and the first six months of 2015-16. This is an average of 1,346 operations being cancelled every week.
The problem highlights the need for measures to increase recruitment of nurses and doctors, as proposed by Elin Jones.
