A very different ward report this month.

There were no formal council meetings in August and I took a little holiday.

My holiday was cut short as my dad was admitted to hospital and he, sadly, passed away at the end of August in Hereford County Hospital.

He had been quite ill since January and this introduced him and me to the importance not just of our health services but local care services. In particular the staff at Elgar Home Care and Holmer Court Care Home made a huge difference to the quality of his life in these final months. I’d like to thank them and all the NHS staff who worked with him (including, but not limited to, district nurses, physiotherapists, doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, and SALT therapists).

It was a real reminder of how important it is to have high quality public services available to everyone in the county.

More normal ward reports will return in September.