Volunteers needed to join community health council

MORE volunteers are needed to join the community health council in west Wales.

Hywel Dda CHC has locality groups for the three health board counties – Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Ceredigion – with a quarter of members made up of people involved with voluntary organisations.

Other CHC representatives are appointed by the Welsh Government and the local authority.

At a Pembrokeshire locality meeting on Wednesday (Aug 7) chairman David Bryan, a Pembrokeshire county councillor, highlighted the need for more members.

In his chairman’s briefing he said that Welsh Government vacancies are currently being advertised and anyone interested is urged to get in touch.

“Lack of new members is a great concern,” he said, adding that the CHC intended to attract some interest at its County Show stand.

A presentation to Angle Community Council in early July failed to recruit new members despite the efforts of deputy chief officer Helen Williams, Cllr Bryan said.

Cllr Simon Hancock asked if there was any idea why numbers were low with some suggestions being potential changes to the structure nationally putting people off as well as increasing volunteering within communities instead.

Ms Williams added: “The name doesn’t help. Before it used to be Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Ceredigion and I think that some members think they will have to go up to Aberystwyth.”

In response to a suggestion it was because the CHC worked too closely with the health board she said: “I can only assure you that we hold the health board to account for the patients.”