Survey: Welsh Assembly Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition rule is poor
Pembrokeshire residents are more worried about the future of the National Health Service than anything else, according to a recent survey, it was announced today (date).
The county wide survey was conducted for the local Conservative Association to uncover the real concerns of local residents.
More than 21,000 questionnaires hand delivered to households in the county asking for views on a range of topics which included: the issues which concerned them most, how they rated Labour/Plaid Cymru's management of the Welsh Assembly Government and their voting intentions for the forthcoming National Assembly elections.
The poll showed that 25% of responses put the NHS as the greatest concern, this was followed by worries about the recent rises in fuel prices which polled 15%, then immigration at 14% and the economy on 12%. The question asked: 'what three issues most concern you?' The detailed results were:
NHS
25%
Fuel prices
15%
Immigration
14%
Economy
12%
Crime
7%
Europe
6%
Education
6%
Environment
5%
Affordable housing
5%
Transport infrastructure
3%
Other
2%
Respondents were also asked how they rated the local health services, and despite overall concern about the NHS, 61% thought they were either very good, or good. A total of 17% thought they were poor or very poor, and 23% said the services were neither good nor bad.
Paul Davies, Welsh Conservative Assembly candidate for Preseli Pembrokeshire commented:
"The survey highlights the strength of local concerns at maintaining the generally agreed high quality of local healthcare. It would be fair to attribute some of this concern to the recent threats there have been to the status of Withybush Hospital where we have seen orthodontic services and histopathology services transferred away from there in the last 6 months."
There was also concern at the quality of Labour and Plaid Cymru's management of the Welsh Assembly Government. A total of 33% of respondents stated the quality of governance was either poor or very poor, while only 24% thought it was good or very good; 44% said it was neither good nor bad.
Paul Davies added:
"Although the survey doesn't actually say this, I believe there is a link between peoples' worries about the NHS locally, and their belief that Labour and Plaid Cymru manage the government of Wales badly."