The Welsh Conservatives will host a Senedd debate later today on making life easier for those suffering from Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Peter Fox MS will lead attempts to unite the Welsh Parliament behind his party’s motion that will call on the Welsh Government to simplify access to housing adaptations by creating a non-means tested, fast-tracked process.
They will also propose that the Senedd:
- Recognises that MND is a rapidly progressing disease that has no cure and that a third of people die within a year of diagnosis.
- Welcomes the British Government’s £50m investment to fund new MND treatments research.
- Acknowledges that equitable and faster access to housing adaptations are essential to ensuring people living with MND can live safely, independently and with dignity in their own homes.
- Believe that the impact of the delays in installation of housing adaptations and the means testing process has a huge impact on the time people living with MND have left.
MND affects approximately 5,000 people across the UK at any one time. Although a rare condition, the debilitative and degenerative nature of the disease means that housing adaptations are crucial to ensure that independent living is still maintained for those with the disease.
Yet, in Wales, there are serious concerns about the current housing stock and the lengthy waiting times for adaptations. In March, the now Minister for Climate Change admitted that “40 weeks is a long time” to wait for adaptations, after being confronted about unbearable waits.
Senedd Conservatives welcomed the Welsh Government’s announcement of £15m to NHS organisations to help undertake clinical trials in areas including MND and have urged NHS organisations to also take part in the British Government’s £50m fund to research a cure for MND.
Conservatives will also support Plaid Cymru’s amendment, which “calls on the Welsh Government to explore the establishment of Wales-based centres of expertise for neurological diseases to improve the scale and quality of clinical trials and increase patient access to new treatments”.
Commenting ahead of the debate, Peter Fox – the MS for Monmouth – said:
“MND is such a rare and debilitating disease that it often gets forgotten about, but that does not mean those with the disease and the loved ones that surround them don’t deserve to be heard.
“So, I am glad to have this opportunity to raise their needs and concerns in a proper Senedd debate. I am hopeful of cross-party support for our motion and will happily support the laid amendment.
“We now need to ensure that money dedicated to housing adaptations aren’t just numbers of a ledger, but actually translate into meaningful action that makes living with MND easier.
“That means housing adaptations going from awareness and application to completed work much faster by streamlining the process by making it non-means tested and fast-tracked for those with MND given the seriousness of the condition.”
ENDS/
Notes to Editors: The debate is expected to begin between 4:30-5:30pm on senedd.tv
