"Wake up" call over ageing population's health needs

3:30pm Sunday 9th December 2012 in News

New statistics on life expectancy are a ‘wake-up call’ to the Hywel Dda Local Health Board and county councils in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, according to Assembly Member Angela Burns.

Constituency-based statistics recently released by The Older People’s Commission for Wales show that people in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire live substantially longer than the Welsh average, but with a lower ‘healthy years life expectancy’.

They also reveal that over the next decade, the number of older people living in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire is likely to increase to 30% of the population.

Mrs Burns said: “I can totally understand why so many older people choose to remain, or settle, in this lovely corner of west Wales.

“However these statistics are also a wake-up call to both the local councils and the health board.”

She said services must be planned to respond to these needs – such as transport to allow older people to reach vital services, and sufficient social care support to ensure residents would live at home independently.

Mrs Burns also called for the government and councils to adopt strategies to make sure that the population was balanced in terms of age.

“We need to plan to invest in jobs and the environment so our younger population remain in the constituency, providing a vibrant economy that supports older and younger people’s needs alike,” she commented.

Comments(9)

Tttoommy says...
5:06pm Sun 9 Dec 12

the way older ppl are treated in Hospitals (where drugs are not given to them as its a waste of resources) and in care homes makes ppl think what's the point in looking after yourself - eating properly,taking excercise if that's your fate ?

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Tina2 says...
7:56am Mon 10 Dec 12

And another thing, there is no point being ill in Pembrokeshire if you don't have a car.

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Rockface says...
11:23am Mon 10 Dec 12

Every year I have to do a 200 mile trip to take my grandson to Cardiff for a five minute appointment! Where the consultation could easily take place over the phone!

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Honest Local says...
8:02pm Mon 10 Dec 12

Well things are going to get far far worse when this Hywle Dada Health Board has finished with us. I am told that Mr Martine from Haverfordwess who is the chairman will not change his stance and most things will go to the big hospital in Carmarthen. I am told he will try and break the news before Christmas so that it will be missed by most people, and the closures will begin in January. Then we will be travelling and travelling and travelling - and 200 miles will become commonplace. Mr Martine is advised and controlled by his executive manager Mr Pertwee who has done this sort of thing in England a few years ago.

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Tina2 says...
8:01am Tue 11 Dec 12

Honest Local wrote:
Well things are going to get far far worse when this Hywle Dada Health Board has finished with us. I am told that Mr Martine from Haverfordwess who is the chairman will not change his stance and most things will go to the big hospital in Carmarthen. I am told he will try and break the news before Christmas so that it will be missed by most people, and the closures will begin in January. Then we will be travelling and travelling and travelling - and 200 miles will become commonplace. Mr Martine is advised and controlled by his executive manager Mr Pertwee who has done this sort of thing in England a few years ago.
If this is the case they will need more patient transport to get those without cars there.
These people who make decisions like this forget that not all of us have a car or access to one but then perhaps we don't count.

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Honest Local says...
10:17am Tue 11 Dec 12

Tina, I agree with what you say but there is no other transport available; there are not enough ambulances now and if they are all travelling back and forth to Carmarthen they will be even harder to get. There are country car volunteers but I doubt they will want to go all the way to Carmarthen either! The Hywle Dada dont seem to care - if patients cant get there that will not be the Health Board problem. There are buses and trains of course but whichever way it will be costly. -perhaps we should close down Pembrokeshire and move into Carmarthen

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Tina2 says...
12:03pm Tue 11 Dec 12

Honest Local wrote:
Tina, I agree with what you say but there is no other transport available; there are not enough ambulances now and if they are all travelling back and forth to Carmarthen they will be even harder to get. There are country car volunteers but I doubt they will want to go all the way to Carmarthen either! The Hywle Dada dont seem to care - if patients cant get there that will not be the Health Board problem. There are buses and trains of course but whichever way it will be costly. -perhaps we should close down Pembrokeshire and move into Carmarthen
And what happens when it snows?

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Honest Local says...
12:44pm Tue 11 Dec 12

I think that is a question that you need to ask Mr Martine and Mr Pertwee of the Hywle Dada Health Board -presumably they have done risk analysis and built an additional number of predictable deaths into their plans due to time and distance to Carmarthen etc. Perhaps they are going to buy a couple of helicopters and build a landing strip in Carmarthen somewhere.

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Tttoommy says...
9:14pm Tue 11 Dec 12

Its a sad fact that ppl who make these decisions based only on cost will not be affected (neither will their loved ones) - they forget the most important "golden hour" where treatment in an emergency .must be given within one hour or the patient will die.
No wonder welsh ppl die younger despite more money is spent per patient in Wales than England - it must be all those extra managers, free parking and free prescriptions

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