Mike Hedges AM welcomes the Nurse Staffing Act which will be implemented from 6th April

Mike Hedges AM welcomes the Nurse Staffing Act which will be implemented from 6^th April

The Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act will be implemented in full from 6^th April 2018,  the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services announced.

Mike Hedges AM said…. ‘I am pleased that this Act is now in force. It will a set new standard for Welsh Hospitals, where there will be minimum numbers of nurses required to be on duty. This will give reassurance to patients and their families. It is a sign of the Wales Labour Government’s commitment to continue to raise the standard of patient care within the Welsh NHS.

The Act places a duty on health boards and NHS Trusts to take steps to calculate and maintain nurse staffing levels in adult acute medical and surgical inpatient wards, as well as a broader duty to consider how many nurses are necessary to provide care for patients sensitively in all settings.

It also ensures that the NHS more widely recognises the professional judgement of nurses in identifying the needs of their patients, and supports nurses from ward to board to have the necessary and sometimes difficult conversations about the resource needs of their patients based on those needs.

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Mike Hedges AM welcomes Welsh Government launch first Organ Donation pack for secondary Schools.

Mike Hedges AM welcomes Welsh Government launch first Organ Donation pack for secondary Schools.

The first organ donation education resource for schools in Wales has been launched by the Welsh Government.

Mike Hedges AM said… I welcome this development; talking about organ donation can be a very difficult topic if left until the immediate period after someone passes away. I support this initiative, and it is important that we all become used to talking about organ donation prior to needing to talk about it following a loved one’s death. I urge everyone to speak about this with family and loved ones so that people are aware of each other’s views. The scheme in operation over the last 3 years has led to a significant increase in the number of transplants. I hope that this figure continues to increase.

The pack, which was first tested with pupils there, will help inform key stage 3 and 4 students about organ donation, encouraging them to discuss the subject with their friends and families.

The lesson guide is the result of collaboration between the Welsh Government and NHS Blood and Transplant, and contains a lesson plan, activities, short case study films and guidance for teachers.

The pack aims to encourage pupils to:

• Describe how organ donation saves and improves lives;
• Explain some of the reasons why people decide to become organ and tissue donors;
• Understand why it is important to join the NHS Organ Donor Register;
• Understand how to talk to people about organ and tissue donation;
• Understand what options about donating they must consider under the system in Wales;
• Understand the decision to donate is their own, and the importance of sharing that decision.

In 2015 Wales was the first country in the UK to move to a soft opt-out system of consent to organ donation. The latest statistics reveal a 72% consent rate and approximately 24.3 donors per million population, putting Wales at the top of the list in the UK.

Statistics also show that 39% of the Welsh population have registered to opt-in to donate their organs following their death. However, if individuals don’t tell their family of their decision to donate, the family may not honour that decision and over-ride the organ donor registration or not support deemed consent.

In 2016-17 data published by NHS Blood and Transplant showed there were 21 cases in Wales where families either overrode their relatives’ decisions to donate organs, or didn’t support the deemed consent.

With an average of 3.1 organs retrieved per donor in Wales in 2016-17, this could have resulted in as many as 65 additional transplants.

You can read more about organ donation in Wales here

Mike Hedges AM welcomes statement of support for Welsh Muslims after statement from Minister for Equalities Julie James.

Mike Hedges AM welcomes statement of support for Welsh Muslims after statement from Minister for Equalities Julie James.

Mike Hedges AM backed Welsh Government Minister Julie James who has issued a statement following recent media reports of a campaign aimed at British and Welsh Muslims.

Mike Hedges said…. ‘I greatly welcome this statement; we have many Muslims living in Swansea East and we enjoy very good, harmonious relationships with our neighbours from all different cultures and backgrounds. I too condemn people who seek to divide communities and apportion blame for society ills to individuals from different backgrounds. I would urge anyone who is subject to abuse of whatever kind to report it so that the police have a picture of what is happening in the area.’

Following recent media reports about a malicious letter campaign aimed at British Muslims, Julie James, who is responsible for equalities in the Welsh Government, reassured the Muslim community in Wales that they are valued and welcome. 

She wrote,

“I hope that I can provide you with some measure of reassurance by stating categorically that the Welsh Government, and the vast majority of the population in Wales utterly condemns the vile hatred expressed by a tiny minority, and the cowardly attempt to instil fear in our communities. 

“The Welsh Government stands firmly alongside all those who are the victims of threats or abuse at any time, and in constant opposition to all those who seek to spread division.”

Working alongside the four police forces and the Hate Crime Criminal Justice Board Cymru, we have robust systems and legislation in place to investigate hate crimes, support victims and punish perpetrators. 

The Welsh Government and the police take all reports of hate crime extremely seriously. Even when the report does not lead to an arrest, this information is still vital to help the police forces to plan and target their prevention activities.

Mike Hedges AM welcomes news that Welsh Government Bus grants will keep Wales moving

Mike Hedges AM welcomes news that Welsh Government Bus grants will keep Wales moving

Economy Secretary Ken Skates has announced £25m to help support vital bus services across Wales.

Mike Hedges AM said… this is great news for local bus users. We know that many local communities rely on their bus services, and any reduction in service would have a really serious impact on these communities. I am really pleased that this announcement will enable some certainty to bus operators that they will continue to receive Welsh Government subsidies to continue to run these services. I urge people to use local bus services.

Funding under the Bus Services Support Grant (BSSG) is allocated annually to Wales’ local authorities by a formula that reflects their overall populations and their rural or urban characteristics.

The £25m grant will be shared between the 22 local authorities, and will allow each to subsidise socially-necessary bus and community transport within their areas.

The grant will supplement local authorities’ own expenditure on bus and community transport services.

South West Wales                                                 £5,090,415

Carmarthenshire Council

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

Pembrokeshire Council

Swansea Council

Press release RE succesful funding event on 22 March 2018

On Friday 23^rd March 2018 Mike Hedges organised a Free Funding Advice event at Morriston RFC, it was very successful with over 60 attendees. He had arranged for Arts Council for Wales, Big Lottery Fund, Community Foundation in Wales, Heritage Lottery Fund, SCVS, Sport Wales & Swansea City AFC Community Trust to attend. Each funding organisation conducted a presentation to advise the community groups on what type of funding they could offer & how to apply. It was very informative & a great success.

Some community groups had travelled from as far as Brecon. We look forward to hearing of any successful outcomes following the event.

Mike Hedges welcomes Continued funding for British Transport Police

Mike Hedges welcomes Continued funding for British Transport Police

Mike Hedges AM said… This is great news for passengers and for people living close to Railway lines where the Transport Police are an extra resource when dealing with children playing on the Railway lines. I am aware of the great work that the Transport Police do in ensuring Passenger Safety and educating young people about the dangers of playing on railway lines. I am sure that this funding will ensure that this good work continues in the future.

Economy Secretary Ken Skates has announced £1.2m to continue funding the “Tripartite Agreement” between Welsh Government, Arriva Trains Wales and the British Transport Police and to expand the neighbourhood policing scheme.

The continuing revenue grant funding will see £265,000 in 2018-19, £273,000 in 2019-20 and £281,000 in 2020-21 going to British Transport Police to fund their existing additional operational personnel operating in the Welsh Sub Division.

Mike Hedges AM welcomes Welsh Government announcement of funding to tackle Period Poverty.

Mike Hedges AM welcomes Welsh Government announcement of funding to tackle Period Poverty.

Mike Hedges AM said…. ‘I greatly welcome this announcement by the Welsh Government to address the issue of Period Poverty. I am aware of how difficult it can be for women to purchase the necessary hygiene products if they are living in poverty. This announcement will go a long way to ensuring this inequality is tackled.’

Assembly Minister Julie James said. It is unacceptable that some women and girls in Wales cannot afford to buy essential feminine hygiene products when they need them. I am committed to doing everything I can to tackle this inequality.

As part of the of the gender and equality rapid review which the First Minister has asked me to lead, he has asked us to work with local government to create a national, sustainable response to period poverty. This announcement is the first step towards achieving that goal.

Yesterday, I wrote to local authorities offering them a package of funding to help deliver the change that is needed.

Local authorities will receive £440,000 over the next two years to tackle period poverty in their communities where levels of deprivation are highest by providing feminine hygiene products to those women and girls most in need.

Additionally £700,000 of capital funding will be available to improve facilities and equipment in schools, ensuring that all girls and young women can access good sanitary facilities when they need them.

Local authorities are best placed to know where to target effective action for tackling period poverty in their communities, which is why we are asking them to use their knowledge to identify and help those who need it the most.

My officials will be contacting all local authorities with details of the funding available to them in the coming days and we will continue to work closely with them and third sector organisations to evaluate the situation and ensure resources are being allocated to their maximum effect.

This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Assembly returns I would be happy to do so.