In her latest blog for Caerphilly Observer, Islwyn AM Rhianon Passmore talks cross party meetings in regards to a life-threatening illness, tackling train issues, and promoting music within education.
Sepsis
Last week I attended the inaugural meeting of the cross party group at the National Assembly for Wales on Sepsis. In a YouGov poll commissioned by UK Sepsis Trust in September nearly half of those polled, 45%, could not offer any opinion on what sepsis is. Though this has improved from 62% last year. Of those who have heard of sepsis 25% don’t believe it is a medical emergency.
Cross party groups are where Assembly Members voluntary come together, irrespective of their own individual party persuasion, around an issue to raise its profile and seek to benefit that cause. You might be wondering what Sepsis actually is? Every year in the UK there are 150,000 cases of Sepsis, resulting in a staggering 44,000 deaths – more than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined.
Sepsis is a life threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. Sepsis leads to shock, multiple organ failure and death especially if not recognised early and treated promptly.
I look forward to working with interested parties and AMs across the political spectrum to advance this importance issue and how we can help save lives.
Rail services not up to scratch
My mail bag and inboxes continue to reflect peoples’ frustrations with the recent level of service on the Ebbw Vale to Cardiff Arriva Trains Wales service. Last week I met with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure Ken Skates AM to raise constituents concerns.
Work continues to lay more track so that the line can accommodate two services an hour. It is my firm belief that a train service to Newport must be delivered. I am due to shortly meet with representatives from Arriva Trains Wales. I will let them know in uncertain terms the need to up the level of service offered to the public.
Royal performance
I was delighted to read in Caerphilly Observer that around 650 music students from Caerphilly Borough County Borough Council and the wider Gwent area performed at the Royal Albert Hall on November 16.
I believe passionately that all our children, irrespective of their background, should be able to access the joy and fulfilment that being involved in music education offers. It is an issue that I will continue to raise in the Senedd and with Welsh Government Ministers.
Although we continue to live in the shadow of austerity policies followed by the UK Tory Government and their cuts to Wales, we must be creative in our thinking to ensure that the land of song continues to sing.
Although we continue to live in the shadow of austerity policies followed by the UK Tory Government and their cuts to Wales, we must be creative in our thinking to ensure that the land of song continues to sin – was this final paragraph really necessary, does it add anything at all to this blog, no – purely more mud slinging at a Tory government who are yet again having to dig the UK out of the mire left by Labour, who are doing a pretty pityful job of governing in Wales and couldn’t even persuade their legions of followers to vote to stay in Europe. What will they do I wonder with the £400million being given to them by the evil Tories to invest in Wales, most likely build yet more innovation centres, more plush new government and local council buildings, more crazy paving in town centres, buy an airport, cover the entire length of the M4 with speed cameras, order a few more Chinese Christmas trees at £30’000 a pop.
Wales ceased to be “the land of song” when I was a young child. My first visit to the National Stadium was memorable for the hymns, both Welsh and English, sung with gusto and technical ability by a populace that had all learned them at school.
Contrast this with today’s shouty, out of tune renditions of snatches of ‘Hymns and Arias’ and the like by a crowd who did not have the advantage of learning choral singing in school.