Conservatives select local for Senedd seat
BRIDGEND Conservatives have selected a woman who was born in the town to contest the seat at the Senedd elections in May.
Rachel Nugent-Finn was brought up in Cefn Glas before the family emigrated to Australia when she was a child. But they later returned to Wales and settled in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Rachel, who attended Bridgend College, sits on the Vale of Glamorgan Council and has an 11-year-old son.
She said: “I have strong links to both Bridgend and also Porthcawl where I enjoy surfing. I am very aware of the problems that have affected the constituency in recent years but I feel Bridgend town has a great future.
“Bridgend needs a revamp and a re-design to bring new life into the town. I support the proposed new Masterplan produced by the council to move Bridgend College into the town centre as a means of introducing a new, vibrant element to the area with the students adding their energy and dynamism into the mix.
“Bridgend needs a good combination of shops, leisure and hospitality businesses, residential units and also services like the college to act as a draw. I am also very keen to see a new transport hub at Bridgend Railway Station which will bring train and bus passengers together to improve integration.
“We need ease of access to public transport to improve connectivity throughout the constituency in order to boost the town centres and tourism.
“I spend almost every weekend in Rest Bay so Porthcawl is very familiar to me. I think it has a great future but again needs sensitive development in places like Salt Lake which will make the area attractive to visitors.
“I have a lot of ideas about what could be done in both towns and as the Senedd member, I would be well placed to influence the important decisions that are going to be made over the next year or two which will shape how both town develop.
“If elected, I would also work hard to engage with people in communities like Cornelly, Kenfig Hill and Pyle to ensure that their voices are heard.”
Rachel has a background working as a drugs and alcohol abuse counsellor and has also specialised in child protection acting as a consultant for fostering and adoption services.
“Working in these fields over many years has given me the opportunity to really understand the issues that blight so many people’s lives and which often have devastating impacts on any children involved.“
Rachel says that she is somebody who just gets on with the job of doing her best for the people she represents.
“That’s the approach I will bring to being the Senedd member. I am delighted that party members have placed their confidence in me. I intend to campaign hard to build on the success we had at the 2019 general election when Bridgend went blue with Jamie Wallis.
“It’s a big job but I cannot wait to start.”
POTENTIAL electric vehicle charging sites have been identified across the Bridgend county borough.
This year work is due to begin on a taxi charging point at Hillsboro Place car park in Porthcawl and funding is being sought for charging points at Brynmenyn Industrial Estate, Bridgend Life Centre, Porthcawl, Maesteg car park, Bridgend town centre, Bryncethin Depot and the Civic Offices car park.
The Welsh Government has set a target of zero emissions from buses and taxis by 2028 and the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) was given £1.3m last May to help meet this goal.
The projects include infrastructure for electric taxis and private hire vehicles, and 34 chargers are due to be installed at 31 sites across the region by the end of the summer.
The work to identify the publicly accessible and workplace sites is part of the CCR Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) strategy.
A ‘try before you buy’ scheme is also being put in place for taxi drivers to encourage them to transition to wheelchair-accessible electric vehicles.
This is expected to be in operation by early July, and webinars are being organised to answer operators’ questions.
Across the region, 112 sites have been identified for electric charging points for public use, as well as 15 sites for bus charging points.
In future, hydrogen, renewable energy and digital technology will also be explored to help achieve emissions targets.
Bridgend Council leader Huw David, who is also chair of the CCR Transport Authority, said: “I am delighted with the excellent progress we are making on these initiatives, which will help Wales play its part in tackling climate change.
“We have a real opportunity for the CCR to lead the UK, to be an exemplar region in both the deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure, and in the subsequent take-up of
ULEVs. We have the ambition, the plans, the right networks and collaborative working practices and the ability to deliver at pace and at scale.
“The delivery of this programme will help us realise our vision for the future of transport, sustain real behavioural change and put the region on a pathway to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with taxis and buses accelerated much earlier in line with Welsh Government’s 2028 target.
Despite the pandemic, patients can still visit Nuffield Health Cardiff Bay Hospital, where specialist equipment is further enhancing and streamlining cataract patients’ experience. Now YAG laser procedures to clear cataract capsules, sometimes required after cataract surgery, are available and the new kit can also be used to lower eye pressure in glaucoma. Adhering to all government guidelines, strict safety measures are in place at both the Cardiff Bay and Vale hospitals to keep patients safe.
CATARACT surgery is the most commonly performed operation in the UK, with over 20,000 procedures being undertaken in Wales alone every year.
This usually prevents loss of sight. Following cataract surgery, over time, between 5 and
10% of patients develop capsular opacification, when scar tissue develops and makes sight cloudy. YAG laser surgery can easily correct this, with almost immediate restoration of the previously improved eyesight.
In early January, a state-ofthe-art Litechnica Selector II SLT/Q-YAG laser was installed at Nuffield Health’s Cardiff
Bay hospital. This specialist equipment can be used by consultant ophthalmologists for a number of cataract-related and glaucoma procedures including laser capsulotomy, selective laser trabeculoplasty and narrow angle irodotomy. Patients can be seen, assessed and treated in one single visit to the consultation room, with less waiting on-site.
Eye specialist Dan Morris said “It is great news that we, as ophthalmologists, are performing laser eye treatments for patients here at Cardiff Bay. One of these procedures, a straightforward YAG capsulotomy, enables those who need it, to return to reading, driving and going out in the dark, after just a single visit“.
YAG Laser Capsulotomy is a special laser treatment used to improve vision after cataract surgery. It is a painless and safe procedure. During cataract operations, the natural lens inside the eye that had become cloudy is removed. A new plastic lens is put inside the lens membrane. In a small number of patients, the capsule thickens after surgery and becomes cloudy. This interferes with the light reaching the back of the eye. When this happens sight becomes misty and causes glare, which can mean that night-time vision becomes a major issue. Capsule thickening can happen in the months after cataract operations, but more commonly occurs about two years after surgery. A YAG laser capsulotomy is the only way to treat this and is mainly picked up by opticians when patients have routine reviews.
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty, is a form of laser surgery that is required to lower intraocular pressure in glaucoma. It is used as an alternative to eye drop medications or when drops alone are not lowering the eye pressure sufficiently or are causing significant side effects. It can also be used as initial treatment in glaucoma.
MEET THREE
EMINENT EYE SURGEONS
At the Cardiff Bay Eye Centre of Excellence, Nuffield Health Cardiff and Vale Hospitals has seven consultant eye surgeons. In addition to Mr Amit Gaur, Prof Mohammed Muhtaseb, Mr Kadaba Rajkumar and
Mr Raghu Ram, here are some of those specialists who focus on laser treatments.
Ms Wai Siene Ng, a consultant ophthalmologist at the University Hospital of Wales explains, “Vision is one of the most important senses essential to living a good quality of life. I was exposed to how important this was as a medical student and was amazed by how life changing it is for patients when their sight is restored after a cataract operation. My particular specialties are cataract surgery and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, laser eye procedures for glaucoma and YAG laser treatment for patients following cataract surgery.
In the majority of cases, vision is successfully restored after cataract surgery.
Patients with glaucoma or a family history of glaucoma often worry about going blind.
This is because glaucoma is a silent thief of vision and is the second cause of blindness in the world. Glaucoma can run in families so it is important that they have regular yearly check-ups so that glaucoma can be detected early and treated.
The majority of these patients should be able to preserve their vision in their lifetime.
I have many research interests and am very keen on using the latest glaucoma devices to get patients off drop treatment or to reduce the risks of major glaucoma surgery. Currently,
I am looking at using anti-scarring agents during cataract surgery in patients with previous glaucoma surgery as well as Laser Peripheral Iridotomy in patients with angle-closure glaucoma.”
Mr Hugh Jewsbury, joined Nuffield Health six months ago and his NHS consultant post is at University Hospital Wales, Cardiff, where he specialises in cataract surgery, strabismus (squints) and neuro and paediatric ophthalmology. At Nuffield Health he performs YAG capsulotomy, cataract procedures and squint surgery for both adults and children aged 3 years and above.
With degrees in medicine and biomedical sciences, he completed his medical training at Bath and his general ophthalmology training in Wales. In 2013 he obtained Senior Trainee of the Year award across all medical specialities. His super-specialist training was at the world-renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Involved in national and international research and training, Hugh Jewsbury is the Royal College of Ophthalmology Tutor at the University Hospital of Wales.
Mr Dan Morris, an ophthalmology consultant with the NHS at the Heath in Cardiff and at Nuffield Health for over 12 years, says, “I always wanted to be a surgeon and was fascinated by the way surgery on the eye can make such a big difference to people’s lives. I enjoy that special relationship that you develop with your patients. After all they are putting an incredible amount of trust in you to operate on something as delicate and important as their eyes.
My main specialties are cataract surgery and eyelid surgery. Thankfully cataracts can be removed in a painless day case operation so restoring sight. I also offer premium lenses such as toric and multifocal lenses to correct astigmatism, which causes blurry visison, to leave you less dependent on spectacles. Patients are carefully assessed for their suitability for this type of lens. I am comfortable with any lid problem from benign lumps and bumps to serious tumours. I also offer blepharoplasty surgery to improve baggy eyelids. My particular research interests are in cataracts, thyroid eye disease, ocular trauma, sports medicine and sustainable healthcare.
Many people put off coming to see an eye surgeon because they are petrified of somebody like me sticking something sharp in their eye, which is completely understandable! If however you just ask somebody who has had cataract surgery and you will see that it is really nothing to worry about at all and it can save your sight.
The other concern people have at present is COVID-19. We have not had any cases following cataract surgery at Nuffield Health Cardiff Bay Hospital and we are lucky, being a day case hospital with no high-risk inpatients.
We keep the place scrupulously clean, wear PPE at all times, observe social distancing, minimise the number of people in the hospital and make sure you are COVID tested and isolated before your surgery, so that you can feel safe coming to us.”
On Wednesday 24th March @ 6pm there is a free virtual patient event “Let’s talk eye problems” at 6pm with Mr Dan Morris. For more information generally or to book a place, please ring 02920 836714 or select eyes at the following link: https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/ hospitals/cardiff-and-vale/ treatments