P-04-448: Improve Sexual health services for Western Vale – Additional information from Petitioner

Dear Mr Williams

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my concerns, apologies for  
interupting your evening.

I will forward the agenda for 28th January, I would be grateful if the  
town council would consider this issue at it's next meeting.

Currently Cardiff & Vale UHB fund 1 x clinic (11-1pm every Friday) for  
family planning/contraception services. This clinic is attended by  
children as young as 12 who feel unable to approach their GP and value  
the non judgemental holistic, professional care this service provides.

I am a community nurse working within this locality, I am also a  
resident of Llantwit Major and mother of 3 girls. I was shocked to  
learn that this is the only such clinic for the entire western vale. I  
subsequently placed an e petition with the assembly. This petition  
requested WAG to increase funding to the UHB to increase services  
(Barry alone currently has 3 clinics) I have since learned that there  
are rumoured plans to remove the service completely in favour of an  
ISHC in Barry.

Just last year in a BBC Wales report on this subject WAG made a  
promise to improve access and funding for sexual health services in  
Wales. This statement followed concerns raised by the head of  
midwifery who cited that the numbers of abortions within the <18 age  
group and risen significantly.

As a current Bsc student at Cardiff University I have identified this  
issue as a very real health inequality and testament to the fact that  
the postcode lottery is alive and well in Wales, especially within  
rural areas.

The vale of Glamorgan is all too often wrongly perceived as an  
affluent area. As a local community nurse I see very real pockets of  
poverty. These families have the added challenge of facing a disparity  
in service provision. Projects such as sure start/flying start are  
widely available in Barry or Bridgend but not the western vale.

As a resident/mother/nurse I feel strongly that we can not allow yet  
another service to be taken away. How much longer should residents  
tolerate paying their hard earned money in taxes only to discover that  
services are to be provided outside of their area?

This clinic currently cares for the young and vulnerable in our  
community. Our government and health service has a duty to protect  
such vulnerable groups.

As a constituent I am asking my Town council to help prevent the loss  
of yet another service in the Western Vale.

Kind regards
Becky lowrie