Pembrokeshire’s two Assembly Members, Paul Davies and Angela Burns joined forces last week in the National Assembly to support Crohns and Colitis UK’s “Make the invisible visible” campaign.
Crohns and Colitis are the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease which affects around 300,000 people across the UK. Its symptoms often include chronic fatigue, extreme diarrhoea and dramatic weight loss. However due to social attitudes and no obvious visible signs it is often regarded as an invisible illness.
The event in the Senedd not only helped to raise awareness of the disease and its symptoms through speeches from Medical specialists and patients, but also marked the inception of IBD Wales, a new group made up of leading gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, clinical nurse specialists, dietitians and patients to drive up standards of care across Wales.
Speaking following the event, Shadow Minister for Health and AM for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Angela Burns said:
“My constituents in living with Crohn’s and Colitis deserve access to the best possible care and support available. I have long been a supporter of this charity and I was very pleased to be able to give my support to this event tonight.
“I have a number of close friends who live with these conditions and I have seen how difficult, painful and embarrassing it can make their lives on occasions. It is vital that we have more specialist nurses in Wales and that we build up a greater understanding of what causes this disease.
“I feel that this new partnership will help to drive research forward into the disease and I will be doing all I can to raise the concerns that have been mentioned to me tonight with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services.”
Preseli Pembrokeshire AM and Deputy Leader of the Welsh Conservative Group Paul Davies added
“I am delighted that this group has been established and I am keen to continue to support the work of Crohns and Colitis UK in Pembrokeshire. They are a charity I have been a supporter of since I was first elected and I am grateful for the hard work they do in researching the disease and supporting patients throughout West Wales that suffer from it.
“It is important that as politicians we talk about the whole range of illnesses that people live with especially those which may be classed as a bit embarrassing. It is vital that we work closely with medical professionals, patients and the charity to ensure that when dealing with Crohns, Colitis and other forms of IBD we make the invisible, visible.”
