Heart patient takes protest to Assembly

A HEART patient who claims he has been needlessly taking prescribed medical drugs has once again taken his fight to the Assembly.

Peter Bellett says he is protesting outside the Senedd over of the "lack of action" into his case by Assembly Health Minister Edwina Hart into his case.

The 61-year-old, from Heol y Felin, Garnant, in the Amman Valley, claims he should never have been put on long-term medication following two medical procedures.

He said when he came off the treatment last year, he felt fine.

Mr Bellett added that he was continuing his campaign to ensure other patients did not end up in the same position.

He set up camp on Sunday and plans to remain at the Assembly until tomorrow.

Mr Bellett said: "I shouldn't have been put on the medication in the first place.

"I have brought a tent, a camp bed and a little bit of food and I'm camping by the main entrance of the Assembly.

"I am forced into staging a public protest on the Assembly steps because of the inaction of our Health Minister and other bodies that are supposed to benefit the people of Wales and have the interests of NHS patients at heart.

"I am hoping for answers to my questions — they can't give me back my quality of life, I have lost that."

Mr Bellett said he was taking the stance to draw public attention to his case.

He first underwent an angiogram and an angioplasty, at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff in 1996, after suffering an angina attack a year earlier.

Following a procedure to widen his arteries, he was placed on five milligrams of Istin, which was designed to relax his arteries, along with his heart muscles and help control his blood pressure.

Health information and advice

At the time, he was already taking a number of drugs, ranging from the beta blocker Monocor, another heart drug, Imdur, and 75 milligrams of aspirin.

He claims he has since been told he was only meant to be on Istin, between the angiogram and the angioplasty, for four to six weeks.

But he stressed he was never taken off the tablets.

Mr Bellett, who also received treatment at Llanelli's Prince Philip Hospital, claimed the amount of drugs was increased two years ago, even though he had low blood pressure problems.

Medics took Mr Bellett off Istin during 2003 but he said he was kept on a series of drugs, including tranquillisers, until last year.

He has raised the issue with Welsh Secretary Peter Hain and was also looking to meet with the Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams to discuss his case.

Mr Bellett added: "I am fast approaching 62 years of age and the damage done to my body and my internal workings by the constant and needless bombardment of drugs prescribed to me will I am sure takes its toll.

"I think every patient in Wales receiving medicine should question it, and not do what I did and just take it."

Nobody from the Assembly was available for comment at the time of going to press.