Accessing healthcare remains a pressing concern for many of us in Flintshire and I recently raised this issue with the Welsh Government in the Senedd. Through my ‘Our Home, Our Health’ survey, I gathered residents’ experiences with GP services, uncovering several challenges – the 8am scramble for appointments, long waits on phone lines only to find no same-day availability and difficulties faced by those unable to navigate online booking systems. While some positive feedback emerged, it’s clear there is room for improvement – policies need to work in practice, not just on paper. I’ve invited the Cabinet Secretary to review the survey findings with me and visit a local service in my constituency and I’m pleased to report that this request has been accepted.
Last month, I shared a personal story about my family’s experience with cancer to highlight the urgent and ongoing need for change in women’s healthcare. 15 years later, women are still navigating a system that too often doesn’t listen or prioritise their concerns. It’s promising to see the proposed NHS Women’s Health Plan, including gynaecological treatments, but let’s ensure it truly makes a difference. Women deserve to be heard and have our health taken seriously, starting with checking for more serious possibilities first, rather than as a last resort. You can see my contributions in the Senedd on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HannahBlythynForDelyn.
Sunday was World AIDS Day – a time to reflect on how far we’ve come in the fight against HIV and AIDS. At the Senedd last week, I attended the Fast Track Cymru World AIDS Day event, where I engaged with the North Wales Fast Track team and Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. We discussed the Welsh Government’s HIV Action Plan, which focuses on prevention, testing and tackling stigma – key components in achieving the target of zero new HIV transmissions by 2030. The red ribbon we wear on World AIDS Day serves as both a memorial and a call to action, reminding us of our shared commitment to advancing this cause and ensuring progress continues.
2024 is Unison’s Year of LGBT+ Workers and Unison members spoke at an event in Cardiff Bay last week on their experiences of the workplace – as the sponsor for the event, I gave a speech about my own experiences and being one of the first openly gay politicians in what was at the time the Welsh Assembly. I was proud to bring through legislation and the LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales as a minister and I will continue to keep fighting and raising the visibility of LGBTQ+ people in all workplaces – after all, you cannot be what you can’t see. It was the trade union movement that built my confidence – to see it do the same for workers across Wales is really heartening. We have come a long way but we must always remember that progress is not inevitable, it is won by all of us working together.
Just before the public transport forum I held in Flint Town Hall in November, I had the chance to visit Flint Train Station and see first-hand the progress being made on the accessibility upgrades. Transport for Wales and Network Rail gave me a tour around the site and provided an in-depth update on the ongoing improvements and I’m pleased to share that the scaffolding is set to come down before Christmas, signalling the completion of enhanced facilities, including better disabled access, upgraded pavements and new lifts. The installation of extended fencing and yellow lines along the platform is also nearing completion and, with the final rendering under way on the new bridge and the promise of a community garden at the station, I will ensure residents are updated as work progresses towards full completion.
Back home in Flintshire, I had the chance to visit the Roberts Group (formerly Polyroof) in Flint once again and hear about how this business that is very much rooted in the community is growing and going from strength to strength. It’s worth remembering that this weekend sees Small Business Saturday, a campaign that highlights the importance of small businesses to the economy and to local communities. It’s only right that we help to support these small businesses in our community and use them whenever we need their services – from small shops to do some of our Christmas shopping to our local pubs and cafés, or to local services like plumbers or electricians. These small businesses really help to keep our communities going.
As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email hannah.blythyn@senedd.wales. You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – www.facebook.com/HannahBlythynForDelyn. Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don’t need to wait for an advice surgery.