Dr Chris’ Monthly Blog - December 09
I have had a month of making radio programmes for BBC Radio Wales. I have been all over Wales talking about Alzheimers, mental illness and homelessness, Caesarean sections and NHS versus private care. Interesting moments were going to Glyn Menai in Bangor, to the EMI home (Elderly mentally infirm). This was an amazing, well run, and caring place. If I get too demented, so I am not able to look after myself, that is where I would want to go. The staff were wonderful and they had a bar in the residential home in the same compound, where you can be escorted over to have a drink.
I also met Darren Millar who is our AM, who spoke well about the WAG plans for mental illness. I went to the Night Shelter in Rhyl at 5.15 pm on a Friday night to talk to the people waiting for a bed for the night, all young males. When they go inside they have to take off all their clothes and leave them in lockers, be redressed and then they are allowed a shower, a good meal and a bed till 9 am next day .The lavatories are all blue lighted so they can not inject themselves. Most of the people have a degree of mental illness. The other wonderful woman I met was a community midwife from Wrexham who was just off to deliver a baby of a traveller, in a tepee in the woods. She spoke well about natural delivery but was sensible about the need to allow women choice about caesarean section if they wished it. There were loads of other interviews but that is just a taste of the programmes, 4 in all, which will go out in February.
The rest of the time I have been trying to see that the council tax increase is no more than it should be. I am trying to keep it down to 2.5%. I am on a committee of scrutiny chairs and vice chairs who help determine this. Social Services and Housing have been at odds with BCUT (Betsi Cadwalader University Trust) about the closure of the Royal Alex in Rhyl, which will have a knock on effect with the beds in Ruthin hospital.
The mobile Youth club is now finally to open on Wednesday next, Dec 9th a 6.30 to 8.30pm, the mobile will be outside the Raven Inn and use the pub games room as well. I am really looking forward to this. The pub is going on well and I love the atmosphere when one is in there. I am improving on the till, if people would not try and do it for me, BIG HINT. Paul and I are on together this weekend this may well be a disaster.
Have a great Christmas and New Year. Don’t waste your money except in the pub. This is the first year for ages that I have been around in November. I know now why I used to go to Africa, it is so dark and gloomy.
Christine