Lung Health Going Forward in Wales

            On Tuesday, 29th April, three of our group went to meet Assembly Members and listen to Mark Drakeford, the Minister for Health in Wales. He was announcing the plan for the future of healthcare for all respiratory patients accross Wales.

           British Lung Foundation, and all of us in Breathe Easy and will do all we can to see this being a success. We will campaign, raise awareness and support patients and their families and friends through Breathe Easy.

          Over the coming months we will be keeping in touch with our Assembly Members and Health Professionals to support them in implementing these proposals.

           these are the things that have been proposed and which we want to see happening accross Wales.

·         Smoking rates driven down to 16% by 2020. Introducing standardised packaging for tobacco products, and legislation to ban smoking in cars carrying children will be key policies to achieving this

·         People who smoke accessing a smoking cessation service that works with them and for them, at a time, place, and format that optimises their chances of successfully quitting

·         Much more raising awareness and encouraging people to get their lung health checked

·         Tools for self-management such as pulmonary rehabilitation programmes should be much more accessible, delivered locally, and reach many more people, to help them achieve a better quality of life and keep out of hospital

·         Referrals into Breathe Easy support groups  becoming an essential part of the patient pathway

Our annual abseil

We held our annual abseil event on Sunday. It was a bit chilly but at least the rain held off until the last ten minutes. We had twenty five adults and nine children doing the abseil and all had a lovely, if somewhat scary time.

Here we all are posing for a press photo. Lots of jittery laughter as the first group prepare to climb to the top of Dinas rock.



 

Does my bum look big in this ?

The children watch as the first one goes over the top.

The only way is down.

Our local MP, Roger Williams, has abseiled with us for four years now. This is just the sort of support we need - thanks Roger and to everyone else who took part and all those who came to help and support.

We have already collected £2,300 in donations, with plenty more still to come in, so, once more, a great event.

Oxygen extends life

For those who need it, oxygen extends life. This was the message Alison Channing, the oxygen nurse from Baywater Healthcare brought us on Friday. The trouble is that many people think that breathlessness and low oxygen levels are the same thing - THEY ARE NOT ! That is a difficult concept to get your head around even for those of us who use oxygen regularly. They often go together but they are not the same thing.

It was nice to meet Alison and get to know her. She will come back later in the year and show us some of the equipment on offer for oxygen users and to tell us about plans for the future. The technology in this field is moving so fast, there is always something new. We have yet to be offered a lightweight method of delivering oxygen, so come on all you clever inventors out there. We want an oxygen container or a portable concentrator which is so lightweight it doesn't cause shoulder pain when carried for a long time. 

Powys Silver Kite Award

 



Doug and I were very proud today to be invited to tea at the Abercrave Inn, with the Chairman of Powys County Council, Colonel John Brunt OBE TD, Elizabeth Protheroe, our local Councillor, David Thomas, the Head of British Lung Foundation Wales, Chris Mulholland and our neighbours Merle and David. This was so that we could be presented with our Silver Kite Awards for our work for British Lung Foundation Wales, campaigning and raising awareness of lung conditions. Over the years we have both enjoyed turning the negative experience of living with lung disease into something positive.

 

 

Welfare and Benefit Reforms

We had an interesting talk from Debbie White about the changes to Disability Benefits and how they will affect members of our group. Most of us are over the age of 65 so, thankfully, there will be no change for us. Everything we have now will remain in place. For those under 65 reviews will take place but there is such a backlog now that it will be 2017 or even later than that.

Since we had our meeting we have seen in the press that ATOS have had their contract terminated, which seems to be a good thing after all the awful stories we were hearing about decisions they were making and the ways in which those decisions were reached. Let's hope the new people have more empathy with the people they are working with. There are scroungers claiming disability benefits, who need to be caught and punished, but the majority of claimants are genuine, and this must be recognised.

Abseil 2014

It's that time of year again - we are getting ready for our 8th abseil event. Over the years we have raised just over £36,500 - it never ceases to amaze me.

PLEASE, PLEASE support us either by donating through Justgiving

or contact me for an application form and take part yourself. Go on, you know you want to.



The Mumbles Railway

Phil Treseder, from Swansea Museum, came to share a bit of Swansea's history with us today and what a wonderful story lies behind the Mumbles Railway ! It started life as a horse drawn carriages which ran on  rail tracks.

It wasn't a cheap day out either. Only the better off could afford this lovely ride around the edge of Swansea bay

 After the horses came steam and the use of a variety of carriages - it looks like whatever they had they hitched on.

Now we got varying ticket prices. Those who could afford it rode in the enclosed carriage and the less affluent could sit on top.

After the steam trains came electrification and the trams. Apparently these are still called a railway, rather than a tramway, because the cars were linked together.

Two really nice things happened today at the meeting. Firstly we welcomed a new member, which is always good news. Secondly, an enthusiast had seen the talk advertised and came to ask if he could join us just for the day, and of course we made him welcome.
thank you Phil for an interesting talk about a Swansea landmark.