In his regular blog for Caerphilly Observer South Wales East AM Lindsay Whittle gives his take on recent news.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
I spoke in the Assembly recently about PTSD. During a visit I made to Afghanistan it did not take a genius to identify that PTSD was an issue because despite being heavily protected, I am not ashamed to tell you that I was afraid.
Way too many young men and women from our forces are languishing in jail, sleeping on our streets and suffering from alcohol dependency or nervous breakdowns. Too many families are suffering.
The MoD has not really adopted proper discharge procedures and is neglecting its responsibility to ensure that veterans adjust to a civilian life. The MoD regards veterans’ mental health as the responsibility of the NHS here in Wales. It is the MoD that needs to take its duty of care seriously.
Whether you support war or not—and I do not—let us never forget that these people belong to us in Wales, and that PTSD must be tackled with a degree of seriousness. If the National Assembly can champion this cause, we can hold our heads high.
If we can embarrass and challenge the London Government to stand up for the rights of those suffering from PTSD, the parliament in Wales will earn the respect of the people of Britain and the world.
I also wanted to again highlight the case of Gurkhas, some of whom live in my region but are still continuing to fight for equal pensions rights. They deserve our support.
Specialist Nurses
Specialist nursing posts need to be protected through long-term funding, and every health board in Wales should calculate and publish the number and type of specialist nurses needed in their area.
One of the key issues that the Welsh Government has to address is the problem of specialist nurses being taken off their duties to cover for the shortage of nurses in general clinical settings and vice versa.
We know that the NHS will not be exempt from having to do more with less, but cutting back on specialist nursing staff will threaten the quality of treatment and the care that thousands of patients in Wales depend upon.
Reunion
It was great to attend the annual reunion of Caerphilly Grammar School for Boys. There were 99 of us former pupils present and it must be one of the most active and well attended old boys’ groups in Wales.
Lindsay Whittle
Plaid Cymru South Wales East AM