Health board reassures families over future of cerebral palsy support

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

Families reliant on specialist cerebral palsy therapy services are being reassured that ongoing talks over future arrangements are not intended to reduce their access to support.

Talks are ongoing between the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and charity Cerebral Palsy Cymru which provides specialist support to children. 

While talks are ongoing a one-month month extension to the current agreement between the NHS board and the charity has been put in place until the end of October. 

Member of Senedd for Newport and Islwyn, Natasha Asghar, said she was concerned a failure to reach an agreement would see support for families reduced, while the board has said “continuity of specialist expertise” is a key consideration for it. 

Conservative MS Ms Asghar said: “Local NHS therapy teams perform vital work, but they lack the specific, advanced training, experience and clinical capacity required to replicate the specialised care provided by Cerebral Palsy Cymru.”

She said if that was unable to continue across Gwent there was a risk of creating a “postcode lottery” as other health boards in South Wales have agreements in place with the charity. 

Ms Asghar said the charity has supported 79 babies in Gwent at what she called “zero cost to the NHS or Welsh Government” and said she has been contacted by families across her constituency. 

One parent, in a statement issued by Ms Asghar, said the service provided by the charity had been invaluable to them. 

They said: “Our daughter would not have been able to have achieved the milestones she has achieved without the early intervention she received from Cerebral Palsy Cymru through the years. 

“The multidisciplinary approach meant that all her needs were addressed in a holistic way – we have learned so much from them as they truly understand her condition, which is what you want as a parent thrown into a new world that you have little knowledge on. 

“To cut this service would be devastating and cruel to so many families, exactly at the moment when they need more support, not less.” 

A spokesman for the health board said no decision to withdraw services has been made and neither has it made a final decision on support it could commission the charity to provide. 

“Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has not taken a decision to withdraw therapy services for children with cerebral palsy, nor have we made a final decision regarding future commissioning arrangements with Cerebral Palsy Cymru, ” said the spokesman. 

The one-month extension to provide specialist physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services will be in place while the board works with Cerebral Palsy Cymru on future arrangements. 

“Our priority is to ensure high-quality, sustainable and equitable therapy services for children and their families,” they added. 

 “We want to reassure families that there is no intention to reduce or withdraw access to therapy services. The review we are currently undertaking relates to contractual and commissioning arrangements, rather than the provision of care itself.  

“Any future model will be carefully assessed against quality, outcomes, accessibility and value for money, with continuity of specialist expertise remaining a key consideration throughout the process.” 

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