Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has confirmed to Plaid Cymru AM Chris Franks that they have plans to increase the provision for patients with chronic respiratory problems.
At the moment pulmonary rehabilitation is currently only available at the University Hospital Llandough which has for many years been the centre for respiratory medicine for Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
In a letter to Mr Franks, Jan Williams, Chief Executive of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: “In response to your enquiry about provision at the University Hospital of Wales, plans are progressing to establish a respiratory ward on this site during this financial year. In addition, our plans for the Cardiff Royal Infirmary include a thoracic outpatient department and a pulmonary rehabilitation base.”
Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales Central Chris Franks said:
“Plaid went into government to protect and improve the health service so I welcome this expansion of services for patients with chronic conditions. The service at Llandough is recognised as providing a service of excellent standard. I raised the issue of provision in Cardiff after meeting patients from our capital who found it difficult to reach Llandough for appointments because they relied on public transport.
“Work has been done to simplify the referral time to reduce waits for pulmonary rehabilitation; the waits are currently at around four months.
“Plaid’s vision is of health services rooted in the heart of our communities. So I welcome that the health board is currently looking at ways of providing rehabilitation in the community using leisure centres, rehabilitation hospitals such as Barry and St David’s and large GP practices. I am told that the challenge, however, is not the site or equipment. The issue is of the trained staff, physiotherapists and occupational therapists that are central to providing good rehabilitation services. Cuts proposed by the Conservative – Liberal Democrat government in the Comprehensive Spending Review will impact on amount of workers trained for NHS work and on future health provision.”
