Petitions Committee hears patient concerns at Merthyr Tydfil hospital

20 January 2012

Members of the National Assembly for Wales’s Petitions Committee have been hearing the concerns of patients at the Renal Unit of Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.

The visit was arranged after the Committee received a petition signed by 1,150 people calling for the Welsh Government to build a new unit to accommodate an increasing number of patients needing dialysis treatment.

AMs met with the lead petitioner, Robert Kendrick, from New Tredegar, patients and staff from the Renal Unit and the Chair and Chief Executive of Cwm Taf Health Board on Thursday (19 January).

“The Committee believes it is vital to, wherever possible, witness first-hand the issues petitioners want us to examine,” said Chair of the Petitions Committee, William Powell AM.

“The visit to Prince Charles Hospital Renal Unit was very informative and we thank the patients, staff and Cwm Taf Health Board for meeting with us.”

“Of great significance was a commitment by the Health Board to meet with its patient forum to discuss this issue and we will follow up to find out how those discussions went.

“In the meantime the information we have gathered from our visit will feed into our consideration of this petition.”