Assembly Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced that Ceredigion Community Health Council is to be retained following a consultation held earlier this year on the future structure of CHCs in Wales.
It had been feared that she would impose a new, Dyfed-wide CHC structure which would undoubtedly have been dominated by the larger populations to the south at the expense of Ceredigion. However, the Minister said that she had taken the concerns of local residents and Ceredigion CHCs opposition to her original plans into account.
Ceredigion CHC will now be asked to look at ways to increase co-operation with its counterparts in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire while each CHC retains its local structure.
Reacting to the Health Minister’s announcement, Ceredigion’s Assembly Member Elin Jones, who's obvious influence can be seen in the decision, said:
“I’m pleased that the Health Minister has listened to the concerns raised about the loss of local influence over the healthcare system should a Dyfed-wide CHC be introduced. A model of close co-operation between local CHCs is much preferable to the original merger plans.
“I now hope that Ceredigion CHC will work towards forging a strong model for co-operation with its counterparts in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire to ensure that it has sufficient influence over the new Hywel Dda healthcare structure while also ensuring that the voice of Ceredigion patients is heard loud and clear”.
Ceredigion CHC will now be asked to look at ways to increase co-operation with its counterparts in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire while each CHC retains its local structure.
Reacting to the Health Minister’s announcement, Ceredigion’s Assembly Member Elin Jones, who's obvious influence can be seen in the decision, said:
“I’m pleased that the Health Minister has listened to the concerns raised about the loss of local influence over the healthcare system should a Dyfed-wide CHC be introduced. A model of close co-operation between local CHCs is much preferable to the original merger plans.
“I now hope that Ceredigion CHC will work towards forging a strong model for co-operation with its counterparts in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire to ensure that it has sufficient influence over the new Hywel Dda healthcare structure while also ensuring that the voice of Ceredigion patients is heard loud and clear”.