If you live in Cwmbran, your chances of surviving a stroke or heart attack are much better than if you live in Monmouth or Abergavenny”. These were the words of an NHS worker speaking to me about the health service in Monmouthshire. When the new Grange University Hospital was built in Llanfrechfa and the accident and emergency department at Abergavenny’s Nevill Hall Hospital changed to a minor injury unit, residents were assured that healthcare would be far better because the longer ambulance journey would be more than compensated for by the specialist and critical care “centre of excellence” at The Grange. However, this was based on the assumption that an ambulance would arrive within the eight-minute response time target for life-threatening ‘red’ category 999 calls.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board tell me problems are due to a lack of ambulances. But ambulance staff say they are being kept waiting for hours outside The Grange before patients are admitted because of bed shortages. The blame certainly does not rest with nurses, doctors and paramedics. We are all being let down by those in charge. Matters may get worse if a planned “national roster review” by the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust leads to rapid response vehicles being moved away from rural areas. I visited Monmouth ambulance station on Friday with local council candidate Abbie Katsande. Abbie is a highly experienced nurse who knows the importance of getting patients into hospital quickly. She is campaigning to keep an ambulance based in the town and to improve facilities for paramedics who are in poor quality portacabins at the back of the old station.
I am pleased to hear Monmouthshire County Council has launched a survey seeking views on how residents, businesses and visitors currently use and would like to use Chepstow High Street and the surrounding shopping area. High Street in Chepstow has been closed to vehicles since March 2020 other than for access to the disabled parking bays on Bank Street and for deliveries between 4:00pm and 10:00am. This change was made to enable shoppers to socially distance, to support outdoor trading and to support walking and cycling. There have been wide-ranging opinions on this closure. With the council now considering longer-term options as part of the Chepstow Placemaking Plan and Active Travel proposals, it would like to gather up-to-date feedback from as many people as possible in order to shape future plans. This is a really important public consultation so make sure you have your say and encourage others to take part. The survey closes at noon on 15 March 2022 and can be completed online at https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/shop-local/chepstow/
*Published in the Monmouthshire Beacon on 23 February 2022 and the Abergavenny Chronicle on 24 February 2022*