Town Councillor helps Llanelli family access GP service

A family who have recently moved to Llanelli have now finally been able to access local GP services within the area after facing severe difficulties.

Machynys Bay resident, Myra Morgan said:

“My Son and his family ( wife and three boys aged 2, 4, 8 ) moved to the Morfa area of Llanelli from Cardiff recently and tried to register the family at the GPs. They were told that none of the practices in Llanelli are taking on new patients at least not until the new year and have to fill in forms to go on a waiting list.  My daughter in-law said what if the children get ill and the advice she was given was to take them to A&E. We have no A&E in Llanelli she would have to travel to either Swansea or Carmarthen, but what happens if you have no car how would you get there with a sick child.”

After hearing this, Mrs Morgan then decided to contact Sean Rees, Plaid Cymru Llanelli Town Councillor to ask for his assistance after reading about the issues that he has raised locally in relation to GP shortages.

Following Councillor Rees’ discussions with the Hywel Dda Local Health Board and the Community Health Council, the family have now obtained access to local GP services.

Llanelli Town Councillor Sean Rees said:

“All local health boards are required to produce risk registers and this is done to highlight the most significant risks to the day to day operations of a local health board. Currently, every health board in Wales has shortages of staff highlighted as a red risk to the safety and sustainability of services.

“These issues have been raised time and time again. The Welsh Labour Government are continuing to sit on their hands while refusing to take workforce planning practices seriously. Plaid Cymru have a detailed plan to train and recruit 1,000 extra doctors and financial incentives being used including a bond scheme to pay off student loans in exchange for guaranteed service in difficult to recruit areas, this has been proved to work. An example of this being the very successful model currently used in New Zealand.

“I’m very pleased to hear that Myra’s family have now been able to access a GP locally. We are extremely fortunate to have such dedicated staff in our NHS, they are doing their best despite the pressures that they face but they need support. We must all continue to ensure that healthcare is provided if, when and where we need it.”

Myra Morgan added:

“My family and I are absolutely delighted, Christmas really has come early for us this year and we don’t have to worry anymore, our family have now been allocated a GP with Fairfield Surgery. I would like to thank Sean Rees for all of his hard work in helping my family find a GP in Llanelli. Sean is a great Councillor in our area, he actually listened to our concerns and has made a difference for all of us.”