Latest News from Cwm Taf Community Health Council

Cwm Taf Community Health Council: Your Health, Your Voice – February:

News continues to be dominated by pressures on the NHS nationally and locally. You will have seen stories about high demands on medical and nursing staff.

Our members have been out inspecting local hospital wards with these pressures very much in mind. We have developed a more intensive approach to inspections – going on to wards morning, afternoon and evening. It is clear from what we have seen and heard that Cwm Taf University Health Board (UHB) patients are telling us how hard working and caring staff are. As a CHC we are pleased this confirms what we have always found.

 At the same time one of the concerns we are aware of is staffing levels. There is new legislation on minimum nurse staffing levels due to go through in Wales this year. We are already discussing this issue with the UHB and we want to hear your experiences.

 Contact us at: Tel 01443 405830

Email: Enquiries.CwmTafCHC@waleschc.org.uk

Web: www.communityhealthcouncils.org.uk/cwmtaf

 Patients are often admitted to hospital because they haven’t taken what has been prescribed. Many people don’t understand what their medicines are for and the importance of taking the right thing at the right time. Sometimes they don’t like the taste, they are hard to swallow, they cause side effects, they are forgotten ………..

“Your Medicines, Your Health” (YMYH) is a UHB campaign about the importance of using and storing medicines. If you haven’t yet cleared out your medicines cupboard now is the time: bring all out of date, unneeded medicines to your local pharmacy for disposal. If you need advice on what to take ask your GP or pharmacist and try not to stockpile. An overstocked medicines cabinet is a dangerous one with increased risks of taking the wrong person`s medicines, the wrong dose or the wrong type for the wrong reason.

So remember the message to “Take them if you can,Tell us if you can’t “

For more information on YMYH please e-mail YMYH@wales.nhs.uk  or ring Martin Davies / Alison Warner at Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda on 01443  443443 ext 2808