In praise of CHANT !

Had a briliant day on Wednesday at the Assembly when protesters supporting CHANT
(Community Hospitals Acting Nationally Together) arrived at the Senedd at 12 noon.

This massive, colurful and noisy protest was organised by Ish (my colleague, Mark Isherwood) and his staff who had worked tremendously hard to co-ordinate all the various hospital defence groups. The lion's share of protesters came from Mid & West Wales representing hospitals like Blaenau Ffestiniog Memorial, Builth Wells, Bronllys, Llanidloes and Tregaron. Some doctors from Builth had even pushed a hospital bed (with modified wheels) all the way down from Powys.

The meeting was cross-opposition party with many opposition party AM's in attendance.
It is interesting to note that at Westminster, CHANT has patrons from all parties including Labour - sadly, this is not the case at the Assembly.

Wednesday's protest was not based around sentimentality and protecting bricks and mortar just for the sake of it.

People in rural areas accept that medicine has grown in leaps and bounds and understand that there may be some NHS services which it is in our best interest to travel a long distance to receive.

This protest was about exposing the disgraceful way in which people have been consulted about the future of their community hospitals, and in some cases, not even consulted at all.

It was about the removal of services when no-one has properly researched or costed what they ought to be replaced with.

It was about speaking out against so-called short-term, cost cutting measures which have closed community hospital wards and minor injuries units wholesale.

These closures have occurred against a backdrop of :

Flatlining in the development and recruitment of community , district and public health nursing.

Inadequate social care services (including an insufficient number of care home beds) increasing pressures on delayed transfers of care.

Zero consultation with the agenices who provide palliative care.

This protest was about our very geography and its impact upon health services which the Labour Government continues to ignore at its peril.

Some of us live at the end of the line.

Some of us live in isolated areas.

No mobile phone signal - not enough ambulance coverage.

But that does not mean we shall put up with second rate.

We deserve better.

CHANT and the people who truly serve and care about their communities will continue to raise awareness and are determined to make it better.