In his regular blog for Caerphilly Observer South Wales East AM Lindsay Whittle gives his take on recent news.
Pancreatic cancer
This week I attended an Assembly event organised by Pancreatic Cancer UK to help spread the word about the disease during pancreatic cancer awareness month, which runs throughout November.
More than 500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year in Wales. We were told about the very poor survival rates and the urgent need for people to be diagnosed earlier, as well as more funding for research and better treatments.
The charity also highlighted the importance of the life-extending drug, Abraxane remaining available to eligible patients with advanced pancreatic cancer in Wales on the NHS. Representatives from Pancreatic Cancer UK explained that they were seriously concerned the NHS may U-turn on its decision to approve the treatment for routine use, after it was confirmed that patients in England would be denied access on the NHS.
We need to do more to improve awareness of the disease to help more people be diagnosed earlier. Pancreatic cancer has the worst survival rate of all the 21 common cancers, and one person dies every hour of the disease.
Alcohol and substance misuse
There was a debate in the Senedd on the Assembly Health Committee’s Report into the inquiry into alcohol and substance misuse.
As a member of the committee, we heard some frank evidence that was both poignant and very moving.
Alcohol and substance misuse claims more than 700 lives a year in Wales. One worrying fact that I highlighted was the clear evidence that an increasing number of older people are drinking to excess –mainly at home – so there is a hidden problem.
We also need to find out whether alcohol and substance misuse causes mental health problems, or whether mental health problems lead to the misuse of drugs and alcohol. Local health boards need to do more research because we know that three quarters of the people who misuse drugs, for example, also have a mental health problem.
What is quite clear, as has been mentioned, is that GPs do need to take up the offer of training in alcohol and substance misuse. They must make efforts to reduce the stigma that, no doubt, is preventing many people from seeking help.
GPs should not be the only player in what should be a much more integrated approach to tackling this very serious problem that faces Wales. We need more residential places in Wales to offer detox and rehab services.
There’s been a good deal of discussion about the unit pricing of alcohol. Evidence suggests that a minimum price per unit of alcohol would increase the revenue for the drinks industry, but would not contribute to offsetting the harm done to those who misuse it.
I feel that many people would support an increase in the price of alcohol if that money were used to offset the cost to our NHS.
A pub landlord will tell you when you’ve had to much. A supermarket will sell you enough alcohol to drown in. Let’s face it they’ll sell you enough to swimming in.
its always about putting prices up, and its the government who are overexaggerating the problem to justify a price rise, if a poor man likes something they tax it
Someone commented, “A pub landlord will tell you when you’ve had to much”, clearly that is not the case in Caerphilly Town where landlord competes against landlord for custom. And on particular afternoons and nights the results of too much alcohol consumption by individuals can be experienced by residents, and particulalry the Police, who are on the recieving end of cretinous inane sometimes involuntary, (because they are out of their sculls on booze), violent behaviour of these people. Sometimes incidents are reported of drunk turning on drunk in one or other of our local pubs, breaking jaws, noses, eye sockets etc.
To clear up onother point, there are no longer `Landlords` who have responsibilty for running their Licenced `House`. Landlords once took great pride in running an orderly pub, they are now `operated` by a named premises superviser many of whom change from month to month without formally informing the CCBC of who the pubs responsible person for running it is, they are generally incapable of properly running a pub, except experience gained as a customer or as a barmaid or barman. They lose nothing by running a disorderly house, but they do lose a lot if they lose customers by refusing drinks to drunks..
Like I said, a landlord.
Shall we get an intermediary to converse between us Trev or shall we continue as we are.
I must admit I do take delight in this, you remind me of Edward Woodwards character in that movie Hot Fuzz.
And Trev gets this comment removed in 5 4 3 2…….
To quote ‘I feel that many people would support an increase in the price of alcohol if that money were used to offset the cost to our NHS’.
I for one totally disagree with this sentiment. Why should we be disadvantaged for the sake of the mindless minority.
The answer is simple – make them pay for their own treatment. If they can afford to drink extravagantly then they are surely in a position to pay for their own treatment.
These mindless idiots should be held to account for their actions and not pandered to.