Nia spoke up for the people of Llanelli at the recent hospital protest, telling the TV reporter that the demonstration attended by over 600 local residents was a clear indication of just how much the people of Llanelli and surrounding areas value the services at Prince Philip Hospital , and just how determined they are to get the message across to the Health board that we, as the most densely populated part of the Health Board’s area should keep the widest possible range of services at Prince Philip Hospital.
Nia and Keith Davies AM with the Acute Response Team in Prince Philip Hospital
Nia has had the privilege of meeting the Acute Response Team (ART) who are based at Prince Philip Hospital and work across the county ensuring patients receive treatments at home without which they could instead have to face a lengthy hospital stay.
Commenting on the visit, Nia said:
“I had no idea about the Acute Response Team, and the amazing job that they do, providing specialist treatment at home to patients who otherwise would have ended up staying in hospital. Last year they treated 420 patients, including a single mother who needed on-going injections to treat a serious medical condition, who would have had serious difficulties in sorting out childcare if she had had to spend long periods in hospital. It is a welcome addition to the range of services available, but clearly it does not replace hospital beds which must be there for more complex cases.”
Nia speaking up for Prince Philip Hospital at the public meeting on 16th February
At the packed public meeting about the future of hospital services, Nia Griffith MP pledged to do everything possible to persuade the Hywel Dda Health Board to keep the widest possible range of services at Prince Philip Hospital.
“That’s why, “she said, “when they tell us that they cannot recruit doctors, we must challenge them to do better, to strengthen links with local medical schools and to put together packages that will attract doctors. That’s why, when they speak of plans to ferry people miles away, we must stress the additional strain on the ambulance service, the dire cost in added risk and human suffering and the sheer economic cost. That’s why we need to challenge them when they say “one for Ceredigion, one for Pembrokeshire and one for Carmarthenshire” – it should be TWO for Carmarthenshire, one in Llanelli and one in Carmarthen, because Carmarthenshire is twice the size of the other counties, and we have the biggest concentration of population here in Llanelli. “
Nia listening to Margaret Smith and Ray Lewis at the hospital consultation day
- Nia questioning hospital chiefs about ambulance resources and improving staff recruitment strategies
Speaking up at the recent public information day held at the Selwyn Samuel Centre, Nia questioned Hywel Dda Health Board’s Director of Medical Services and Director of Planning about over-stretched ambulance resources and improving recruitment
She said, “You have said that it is not money but rather the difficulty of attracting qualified staff that is driving the centralisation of services. What about developing closer links with the new medical school in Swansea, and really trying to offer doctors attractive packages to encourage them to come here?
And what calculations have you made about the additional costs of acquiring and running more ambulances to transport patients to Glangwili or Withybush, if services are no longer offered at Prince Philip Hospital? What about using the money instead to pay for more specialists in Prince Philip Hospital.”
Nia Griffith MP, Shadow Wales Minister, joined a group of legal aid campaigners from Ty Arian Solicitors, who work in Llanelli and Swansea, when they descended on Parliament with a giant coffin, to symbolise the death of legal aid. The campaigners dressed as undertakers presented a petition to Labour’s Lord Bach, who will be leading the opposition to the Government’s Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill in the Lords. About a dozen members of the House of Lords came out to meet them including Baroness Anita Gale, Labour’s Shadow Spokesperson for Wales in the Lords. The stunt marked the start of Committee Stage in the House of Lords, which had its first session on 20th December and is continuing in January.
Nia explained
“The Government’s legal aid reforms propose severely limiting advice on welfare benefits, employment, housing and debt – saving just 2.5 per cent of the legal aid budget – yet cutting this service would leave thousands without the help they need. Preventative and early advice is being cut in many areas, particularly debt, yet this can save £10 for every £1 invested. It is vital to influence crossbencher Lords to support Labour’s amendments to stop this bill leaving vulnerable people with no access to free, independent, quality advice.”
Supporting World Aids Day, Nia Griffith MP said
“Many people in Llanelli care a great deal about tackling HIV and AIDS, and regularly contact me about it. I am proud of Labour’s leadership whilst in government to tackle this global scourge, and I urge Ivan Lewis MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State to do all he can to ensure the Tory-led Coalition Government continues our work.
“With 34 million people still living with HIV worldwide, action now is vital if we are to make a real difference. I am particularly worried that the Global Fund has been forced by limited donations, to freeze its spending until 2014, particularly as this represents around half of the world’s spending on HIV AIDS as well as three-quarters of the efforts to combat malaria and over 80% of the response to TB.
The international community should come together to get the Global Fund process moving again. No one country can hope to tackle the spread of HIV and AIDS alone but UK leadership is now more important than ever.”
Ivan Lewis MP, Labour’s Shadow International Development Secretary said:
“Despite the progress we have seen, around the world millions of people are living with HIV and almost two million people are still dying from AIDS-related illnesses every year. I am very concerned by the recent news that the lack of support for the Global Fund means it has had to freeze its spending until 2014.
We urgently need international leadership to champion this cause and ensure that the price of the global financial crisis is not abandoning those suffering from HIV or AIDS.
Highlighting Labour’s plan to boost the economy, Nia Griffith MP explained
“The Labour Government in Wales is showing there is a better way with the Jobs Growth Fund which will provide 4,000 jobs per year for young people. The Welsh Government is also investing in infrastructure projects like schools, roads and broadband and boosting business through the recent announcement of £55m in grants and loans to help small and medium-sized firms.
Now I am calling on the UK Chancellor to boost the economy, by adopting Labour’s plan for temporary VAT cuts, more investment in infrastructure projects and waiving national insurance payments for firms taking on new employees. Instead the Chancellor seems determined to undermine investor confidence in manufacturing by changing the goalposts for investors in solar power and imposing a supertax on energy –intensive industries like steel. At the same time he is sucking money out of the Welsh economy and squeezing household budgets through increased VAT, cuts in winter fuel allowance, real term cuts in pensions and benefits. All this means that people have less money to spend in local shops. He needs to act quickly to prevent real hardship and to stop this becoming the worst double-dip recession ever.”
Burry Port Town Cllr Jean Hire, shopper Madelaine Phillips, Co-op shopworker Barbara Taylor, shop manager Anthony Evans and Burry Port Town Cllr Ken Edwards
Nia Griffith MP was joined last Friday in Burry Port Co-op by Burry Port Labour Councillors Jean Hire, Ken Edwards, Shirley Matthews and Pat Jones to highlight Usdaw’s Freedom from Fear Campaign.
Nia said, “Every year shopworkers are threatened, verbally abused and even assaulted. Nearly half of all incidents of abuse result from requests for proof of age or refusing a sale of an age-restricted product. The Freedom from Fear Campaign teaches shoppers and shopworkers that they should be free from the fear of violence, threats and verbal abuse and that it should never be accepted as just part of the job.”
“This campaign highlights the problems shopworkers face, particularly during the festive season when incidents of verbal abuse can increase dramatically. In the run up to Christmas, customers are stressed, stores are busy and sometimes things can boil over. That’s why we are asking shoppers to show respect for shopworkers and to ‘Keep your cool at Christmas’.”
You can learn more about Usdaw’s Respect week and Freedom from Fear Campaign at http://www.usdaw.org.uk/ourcampaigns/freedomfromfear.aspx
Following a determined campaign by Nia Griffith MP, Keith Davies AM, the Llanelli Star and Llanelli and Burry Port town councils, Labour councillors on the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority put forward motions at a recent meeting of the Authority which would give fire authority members more information about the plans for Llanelli Fire Station before agreeing to sign up to them.
Labour’s preferred option was not to sign off the draft plan until precise details about what is to happen in Llanelli had been clarified, but the minority Labour group on the authority did not gain enough support from other members to carry this motion.
They did however secure enough support to pass their fall-back motion, proposed by Labour’s Cllr Steve Lloyd-Janes of Hendy, which will allow five of the councillors on the Fire Authority, including the three from Llanelli to be present at negotiations between fire-fighters at Llanelli Fire Station and senior officers.
Commenting on the outcome, Nia Griffith MP said
“I am sure that our campaign, strongly promoted by the Llanelli Star, has influenced members of the authority and made them think twice. It’s a pity that more members did not follow the Labour members’ lead in refusing to sign up to the plan until plans for Llanelli had been clarified, but at least now, they will be able to hear both sides of the story and raise objections to any proposals they see as unworkable for staff or likely to compromise fire service cover in Llanelli. I will be following developments closely; I am determined to stop any cuts to our service in Llanelli.”
Nia Griffith MP joined Geraint Davies and local AMs at a campaign meeting called by the GMB to save the local Remploy factories
Addressing the meeting, Nia Griffith said
“Just at a time when we need more manufacturing jobs, it is madness to close factories and leave the employees join the back of the ever lengthening queues of workers chasing a diminishing pool of jobs. The products are excellent – with more investment in marketing, there is the potential to develop Remploy factories into very successful businesses. I am currently buying new office furniture from Remploy.”
Geraint Davies, MP for the Fforestfach area added
“ Just since Nia and I visited the Fforestfach factory a few months ago, I have promoted the products with big public sector purchasers like the university and helped fill the order books. Just think what proper investment in marketing could do.”
