Join march for A&E unit (From South Wales Argus)

Join march for A&E unit

3:16pm Friday 8th February 2013 in Letters

ON Saturday, February 16, there will be a march through Caerphilly to express the anger and frustration felt by people about the lack of an accident and emergency unit at the new hospital in Ystrad Mynach.

I fought in the RIGHT (Rhymney and Islwyn Gwent Hospital Taskforce) for a new district general hospital for our area and I did not do that only to be fobbed off with a glorified health clinic. People are arriving at the hospital with minor injuries and then having to wait for hours before being transferred to the Royal Gwent for treatment.

My husband who suffers from Parkinson’s had to contend with this recently after attending the clinic with a cut on his ear, waiting to be seen and after all that being referred to the Gwent. It took six hours in all! We lost a perfectly functioning unit at Caerphilly Miners Hospital for this! Other areas are losing their minor injuries units through lack of use - and people using this facility will stop using this unit as well because it’s not fit for purpose. As local members for Blackwood ward we are incensed and we hope that other residents who feel the same will join us on the march on the 16th. Let’s get this changed before it’s too late!

Cllrs Patricia Cook and Nigel Dix