Scotland follows our lead- for a change!

I hope you can take time to read this article that I wrote, that was printed in today's health section of the Western Mail with regards to the treatment of eating disorders in Wales. If you want to join the cross party group, then just get in touch, or if you are on Facebook please join us for discussion there.

I also received a link from a member of the cross party group of a debate on eating disorders that took place this March at the Scottish Parliament- praising our action here in Wales on eating disorders. Well, it makes a change to Wales following Scotland all the time! A Tory MSP, Mary Scanlon was singing our praises, although I gather from her speech that she believes the cross party group to be a government led initiative. There's pressure on us now to perform as a committee, which of course we will do!

Here is the quote:

"Whereas there has been a lack of action—or insufficient action—on the issue in Scotland, the Welsh Assembly has taken dramatic and decisive action to combat eating disorders. It established a cross-party committee on the issue to compile a comprehensive analysis of eating disorders in Wales, including recommendations from the NHS in Wales on provision and support for patients and their families. The committee has managed to raise awareness of eating disorders across Wales and has called for proactive campaigns that specifically target young women in schools and universities. It has also promoted the need for increased training in the health sector to equip front-line staff with the skills to identify and to deal effectively and efficiently with patients suffering from eating disorders."

I am pleased that we are progressing on this issue here in Wales, especially following a meeting that a delegation of the group had with the Health Minister, Edwina Hart AM lately. There's still much to be done, but we have recess to continue the work ( some of us are not taking 9 weeks holiday, I'll have you know. We are working very hard in our constituencies, as some journalists such as Matt Withers needs to know.....;-)) and to follow up any issues in the next cross party group in the new term. B-eat Cymru will be launched in October also, which will also be an exciting time for those working in the sector, and for those suffering from an eating disorder in Wales.

petitions committee celebrates its first year

Its been a busy few days for me, and now I have time to sit down and blog. I was privileged that Huw Lewis responded so quickly to my blog on his comments on devolution. I have read his article on this issue, but I based my blog on the general BBC story to clarify to all. I'm pleased that Huw is so passionate about devolution, and that he has emphasised his commitment to the process. I need never attack him again on this matter.

Yesterday a delegation of the cross party group on eating disorders met with Edwina Hart to discuss the future strategy for eating disorders in Wales. I will expand on developments in due course, but I can say that it was a very productive meeting, and we all came out with smiles on our faces! Sarah Aldritt, a young woman who is recovering from an eating disorder came to the meeting also, and put forward her opinions to the Minister regarding the lack of access to Dietitians in Wales, and a carer- Martin Ball also came along to provide the Minister with a valuable insight in to his experiences caring for a daughter with an eating disorder. Health professionals were also present, and could obviously provide the Minister with expert knowledge of what is happening in the Trusts and LHBs ( if anything) regarding the treatment of eating disorders in Wales.

Yesterday I also attended the launch of the AMs photo display at the Senedd. Many AMs took part, and the photos are there are week at the Senedd for you to look at. I took pictures around the theme of the 'Iron Lady'. I'll post them here for you to look at!

I also took part in a petitions committee event last night to mark a year since the establishment of the petitions committee. It was a hugely successful event, and Andy Williamson from the Hansard society chaired a panel debate about the petitions system, and how we are developing it here in Wales. We have had over 100 petitions now, and the committee is going from strength to strength.

Today I attended the Unison/Unite public sector pay rally at The Point in Cardiff Bay. I'm hoping to go and meet those who are on strike at the Bridgend picket line tomorrow. Its an issue that is totally unacceptable. When MPs can award themselves hefty pay rises and such, its unacceptable that those in the public sector are not been rewarded the pay rise they deserve. London Labour undermining the workers in the public sector again. No surprises there.

Politicians are human too!!

I have had a relatively quiet day today, which is more than I can say for my colleague Nerys Evans AM who has been running around doing interviews about her anonomous survey of AMs on their own experiences of domestic abuse and sexual assault. This was initiated in relation to an Amnesty and NUS Wales led survey on the perceptions of domestic abuse amongst students, and the rate at which it takes place. Of course, the findings of the questionnaire are not surprising as we all, no doubt, know people who are victims of domestic violence in one shape or another. But it was actually surprising that so few AMs took part in the process. Nerys Evans was, after all, only seeking to communicate the fact that politicians are involved in this situation, and that we too have experiences that shape our society. I commend her for raising awareness of this issue, and hope that the Assembly's report on domestic violence will lead to action in this area, as well as place additional pressure on the UK government to push this to the forefront of the political agenda.

The eating disorders cross party group went really well last night, and I thank everyone who attended. We will be meeting with the Minister imminently to discuss the care pathway with regards to eating disorders, and I hope that we can get assurances that there will be substantial investment in this area. Carers and those suffering from an eating disorder, as well as those working in the health sector were present, and I look forward to the next meeting, and arranging more events to raise awareness of the issue.

Tomorrow, I am taking part in a British Council event in encouraging young people to get involved in politics. I met with a group of 6th form pupils to discuss their political aspirations yesterday, and their enthusiasm is clear for all to see. I only hope that we can try and ensure that young people feel part of the political system as opposed to believeing that their voices are irrelevant to us as Assembly Members.

Its Friday!

Here is a link to the blog that I wrote for Ourkingdom on devolution if you want to take a look. It concentrates on the challenges ahead for both the Labour party and the Tories in the context of the referendum on a Parliament for Wales.

I visited Christchurch Primary school in Swansea today. I am always touched by the enthusiasm and the drive of teachers who dedicate themselves to their pupils. They were all very welcoming. My mother is also a Primary school teacher, and so I will always respect the time and effort that teachers invest in their work. It is certainly not an easy job, and I don't think that I could juggle a class of 30 children personally!

I am doing a surgery at the Berwyn Centre, Nantymoel on Monday between 10am and 12 if any readers of my blog live in that area and wish to raise any local issues with me personally. I am trying to do a mixture of street surgeries, and surgeries in various locations across the region so as to reach as many people as possible.

The next cross party group on eating disorders is at 5.30pm next Tuesday at the National Assembly if any of you wish to attend. We are looking at the provision of services by GPs, and also the response of the Health Minster to a letter that we wrote regarding the fact that the current care pathway on eating disorders is only an advisory document- which ultimately means that many local health boards, trusts and GPs alike do not take it as their own individual responsibility to treat eating disorders accordingly.

I've just remembered that there is a London Olympics event at the Assembly on Monday evening also. I was hoping to attend so that I could ask some awkward questions about the financial burden of the Olympics on Welsh lottery monies, but it looks to me as if it will be more of a wine and canapes session. hmmm!

Have a nice weekend....

Financial support from the Lottery for Eating Disorders in Wales

I've just found out that the Lottery has announced today that it will be putting £800,000 aside to support those suffering from an eating disorder in Wales. The BBC reports that this will be administered by the Eating Disorders Association, which may be a hard task as it no longer exists. It is now called b-eat...

Nevertheless I have been told by reliable sources that the Steering Group for the Big Lottery project will be the AWEDSIG ( All Wales Eating Disorder Special Interest Group) management group that Joy Jones chairs- a group that is a member of the Cross party group on Eating Disorders here at the National Assembly.

This is great news for those of us who are campaigning for increased provision and support for those with an eating disorder in Wales, and I look forward to learning about the new projects that will follow in line with this investment. B-eat has support groups in Wales, but it does not, for financial reasons, have a broad presence in Wales. I'm excited by the possibilities for action in light of the Lottery's funding announcement today.

Monday musings

John Prescott seems to be having a hard time of it since announcing that he once suffered from bulimia. Whatever one thinks about him, raising awareness of this illness is always something which I support as I am involved in campaigning with regards to eating disorders. Its still a huge stigma to suffer/ to have suffered from bulimia or anorexia, therefore I'm sure that John Prescott didn't take the decision to talk about his experience lightly.

In other news, I note Huw Lewis's anger at Plaid AMs raising awareness of the divergence of policy or activity between Labour in Wales and Labour in Westminster. We only raise such issues if they are factual- such as Westminsters determination to close our post offices, privatise the DWP, and tax the poor. Noticing how riled Huw Lewis is over such comments only confirms to me his own insecurity with his own party. News on the doorstep about Labour's lack of support come May 1st is obviously not going down well! Whether this is another stab at the leadership of the Labour party I'm not quite sure, but I wish that Huw Lewis and others would just get on with it, and declare if they are interested in standing or not.

An MP's 'constituent only' website

Its interesting to note that on a day when the Assembly is launching its e-petitions website, web casting and e-forum web page that I have fallen upon the information provided by a fellow blogger, Matt Wardman (via twitter... It is useful!) that an MP only allows her constituents to read her website. Everyone who is in her constituency must log in to be able to read about her work.

On a day when we are trying to show that elected politicians are responding to the needs of the people of Wales, and are engaging with constituents in new ways, Westminster seem to be doing the opposite!

The MP in question is Joan Ryan who represents Enfield North. Here is what she puts on her home page to 'welcome' new readers-

This is a special website just for my constituents.

It allows you to let me know your views and to find out what mine are and, importantly, what I'm doing about them. Click on the button on the right to find out more about this site. You have to register to use this site, but that's only so I can make sure that I am listening to the right people. It's all explained if you click on that button.

And you can click on the other button on the right to check if you live in my constituency. If you live here too you can then register and start using my site to tell me your views. If you're already registered, just log in and let me know what you think.

Now I am all for Joan Ryan representing her constituents as effectively as possible, we all strive for that, but surely if somebody from outside her area is interested in the work that she does, if she has any special areas of interest for example- how is stopping them from accessing her website of any use?

The reason why many people contact me, for example, with regards to eating disorders is that I say that I am working on this agenda on my blog, and so invite anyone to contribute to the discussion. It adds to the debate, and shows the level of interest outside South Wales West for what I am doing.

You can contact Joan Ryan from the website, and read about her briefly, but I have to say that confining her readership is far from inviting, and does not convey a positive image of politicians supposed attempt at re-connecting or communicating with the electorate at large.

article on eating disorders

An interesting article in today's Independent from Sister Marie Thérèse, and her longstanding eating disorder, and its connection with religion.