News

The NHS is ‘worth fighting for’

Published

11 years ago

February 18, 2015

Tom Sinclair

New Boss: Steve Moore, Chief Executive of Hywel Dda University Health Board

IN HIS first interview with a Pembrokeshire newspaper since taking up his post, Steve Moore, Chief Executive of Hywel Dda University Health Board, told the Pembrokeshire Herald that he wanted to involve pressure groups, clinicians and the public in the debate about what Withybush Hospital can do to support the local population and revealed what motivated him to return to the NHS as Chief Executive of the Local Health Board.

“I moved out of the NHS for a while to get a different perspective and refresh.” Steve told us. “While I was away from the NHS, I realised that it was in my blood and I enjoyed working within it. The NHS is an institution that I am passionate about: It is hugely important and faces big challenges. I think it is worth fighting for.”

Considering why he had elected to return to NHS management through Hywel Dda UHB, Steve expressed his desire that the Board provide an integrated service: “Looking at England, there are many people there who believe that an integrated model, where we have acute, community and primary care working together will solve a lot of problems. What I see in Hywel Dda is a lot of the building blocks are in place to enable that; in a very rural community, and I come from a rural background, I want to develop that model where we have the means at hand to do so. I’m five weeks in. I am still finding my way around. But I am really positive and excited about how we can move services on. That is why I am here.”

Asked whether he could draw a line under the past, move on and be categorical about the future of service provision, Mr Moore told us: “I’m hearing the concern. I have been to two public meetings over the last two weeks. It needs a line drawing under it. The clinical reasons underlying those decision have not changed. However, we do have the review going on, we need to acknowledge that we might not have got it entirely correct, right up front. We are keen to work with pressure groups, clinicians and the public to learn whether the transfers have happened in the way we planned them. I am sure there are things we can do to improve things for patients who have to move further for treatment than before; however, the clinical argument for changing services and transferring them remains the same. We need to move on, but we need to continue the discussion about what clinical models ought to look like. For me and the Board, having been very clear that each of our hospitals has a sustainable future, we no need to debate how those hospitals best serve the communities in which they sit.”

Steve was clear that he had not come across a situation where the Welsh language had discouraged recruitment, as claimed by the Welsh Deanery. Revealing that he was eager to learn the language, he went on to say: “We need to ensure that where patients’ first language is Welsh we can communicate effectively with them. I have not been here long, but I have not come across the Welsh language dissuading people from applying. There are far more significant things locally affecting recruitment that we need to deal with, such as setting out our positive vision for the future. I would rather get on with tackling those things.”

Responding to criticism by Simon Hart MP that the Board’s communication had been poor, the new CEO was clear: “We need to be clear about our overall aim, that patients can get prompt treatment. That might not always be in their local hospital. Clinical practice changes all the time. There is a danger in having a blueprint which needs constant amendment. There are some ‘red-line’ issues, such as the provision of 24/7 A&E, where we need to be open and transparent with the public about the issues we face regarding recruitment. The Board’s approach is how we build an ongoing relationship. We have had a couple of public meetings already and we have learned from those, so that we changed the format of the second meeting at Letterston to be less one of us telling than of us listening. We got it wrong, the public told us we had got it wrong, so we changed the format. We need to continue to flex and also to hear from people that we sometimes do not hear from. We have a strong desire to be out there talking, listening: we are facing big challenges and we need to be honest and open about that. We won’t find all the answers sitting around a board table, we need to communicate and the more we do that, the better it will be for the future of health services in our local area.”

Refusing to be drawn on past issues with communication between the Board and the public, Mr Moore was, however, very clear on his position and that of the Board generally: “The ethos we have is that it is not our health service, it belongs to the taxpayers. I can’t see a more important job for the Board than to engage with the public. We’re not going to solve the problems we face unless we have the public on board, both understanding the challenges and helping us deliver the solutions. You will see our clinicians out there more often: they are the experts and I think it is important the public know their viewpoint and their views. It is also important that clinicians get to hear the public’s point of view.”

Reflecting on the sometimes difficult relationship the Board has had with the media: “I’m looking forward to having a strong relationship with the press, who can help us reach members of the public we do not reach through our efforts alone. There needs to be a positive – and critical – relationship between the media and the Board. We need to celebrate the good news stories about the way our staff deliver services under great pressure and in the face of great challenges.”

Concluding he said: “I am genuinely positive for the future. You only have to visit our hospitals, to sit in a public meeting and feel the public’s passion. The NHS is a great institution. We will have to find new solutions, the world has changed since 1948. I am positive about that change and feel we have a strong platform to work from.”

Community

Tudor women’s lives explored in upcoming Pembroke history talk

Published

2 hours ago

February 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKE & MONKTON Local History Society will welcome a leading Tudor historian to its next meeting on Saturday, March 7, promising a fascinating insight into the lives of women in the sixteenth century.

Guest speaker Melita Thomas will present a talk titled The Life and Times of Tudor Women, drawing on research from her acclaimed book 1000 Tudor People. The talk will explore the social, legal, political and economic challenges faced by women during the Tudor period, while also examining how some were able to carve out their own paths in areas such as trade, literature and even warfare.

Organisers say the event will offer a fresh perspective on whether Tudor women’s lives were as restricted as often portrayed, highlighting both the hardships and opportunities of the era.

Melita is the founder of the popular Tudor Times website and a member of the Tudor Players performance group. Alongside researching and writing books, she is currently undertaking a PhD at University College London.

Doors open at 10:00am for coffee, with the talk beginning at 11:00am. The event takes place at Pembroke Town Hall, where the Pembroke Museum and Council Chamber — located on the first floor — will also be open to visitors. A lift is available for disabled access.

The society has also announced that Pembroke Museum has reopened following its winter closure. The museum is open from 10:00am to 12:30pm Monday to Friday, with hours extended until 3:00pm from Easter. Entry is free.

For more information, visit www.pembrokeandmonktonhistory.org.uk or follow the society on Facebook. Enquiries can be sent to [email protected].

Local Government

Candidate who withdrew from Hakin race will still appear on ballot paper

Published

2 hours ago

February 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Election law means Labour hopeful’s name cannot be removed after nominations close

THE LABOUR candidate who withdrew from the Hakin county council by-election yesterday will still appear on ballot papers when voters go to the polls next month.

Nicola Harteveld announced she was stepping back from the race after nominations had already closed, meaning election officials are legally unable to remove her name from the ballot or allow Welsh Labour to nominate a replacement candidate.

Under UK election rules, once the deadline for nominations passes and candidates are formally confirmed, the ballot paper is fixed except in very limited circumstances, such as the death of a candidate. Withdrawal after that point does not change the ballot.

As a result, Harteveld will remain listed as the Welsh Labour candidate for the Hakin ward when voting takes place on Tuesday, March 17, even though she is no longer campaigning.

***The First Minister gave Nicola Harteveld her endorsement earlier this week in a social media video***

Potential confusion for voters

One elector in the ward told The Herald the situation could lead to uncertainty at the polling station.

“This will cause confusion, and technically means she could still be elected, when in reality she doesn’t want to be,” the resident said.

Any votes cast for Harteveld will still be counted in the election result, as there is no mechanism to invalidate votes for a candidate who has voluntarily withdrawn after the close of nominations.

If a withdrawn candidate were to receive the most votes, further procedural steps could be required, potentially including a fresh election depending on the circumstances at that stage.

Background to withdrawal

Harteveld stepped back from the contest after reporting verbal abuse directed towards her son, in a development that also led to political controversy after the First Minister visited the ward to support her campaign on the same day she did not attend and later confirmed her withdrawal.

Because nominations had already closed by that point, Labour was unable to field another candidate, leaving the party without an active campaign presence in the contest.

Election context

The Hakin by-election was called following the death of long-serving Independent councillor Mike Stoddart.

The remaining active candidates are:

Derrick Abbott (Independent)
Sam Booth (Wales Green Party)
Lee James Bridges (Independent)
Duncan Edwards (Independent)
Brian Taylor (Welsh Conservative)
Scott Thorley (Reform UK)
Sam Warden (Welsh Liberal Democrats)

Polling stations across the ward will be open from 7:00am to 10:00pm on March 17.

Local Government

First Minister left red-faced as Labour candidate pulls out during Hakin campaign visit

Published

19 hours ago

February 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Candidate says withdrawal follows ‘abuse’ towards candidate’s son and backlash over Withybush Hospital downgrade plan

THE FIRST MINISTER was left in the embarrassing position of arriving to campaign in the Hakin ward without an active candidate. Labour’s by-election hopeful withdrew from the race on the same day as a high-profile visit to support her campaign.

The visit had been organised to support Labour candidate Nicola Harteveld, but she failed to appear, leaving party activists canvassing in the ward without her and apparently unaware she was about to pull out of the contest.

Harteveld later confirmed she had been considering her position before announcing her withdrawal shortly afterwards.

The former Labour candidate confirmed she was stepping back from the Pembrokeshire County Council by-election following verbal abuse directed towards her youngest son, bringing an abrupt end to the party’s campaign after nominations had already closed.

The development meant Welsh Labour could not field a replacement candidate, leaving the party effectively without representation in the contest despite a scheduled campaign visit by First Minister Eluned Morgan MS and party activists.

***First Minister: Eluned Morgan MS, made a video statement backing Nicola Harteveld on Thursday***

‘Abuse’ towards child

In a video statement released on social media, Harteveld said the decision followed an incident in which her son was allegedly shouted at by two men while walking home from volunteering.

“My youngest was walking home… and two men on the opposite side of the road shouted across ‘tell your mother she’s a Labour loving c***’,” she said.

She said her son was “absolutely devastated” by the incident.

“My family comes first. I am not prepared to put them in the line of fire to be targeted because of something that I’m doing,” she added.

Final decision

Harteveld, who currently serves as a town councillor, said she had spent several days reflecting on whether continuing in the election was compatible with her personal values before the incident involving her son became “the final straw”.

“My morals, my views and my values will not allow me to take this by-election any further,” she said.

She explained that she had wanted to stand in order to take residents’ concerns directly to County Hall, rather than relying on others to represent them, and believed standing as a Labour candidate would have allowed her to raise issues more directly with decision-makers.

First Minister visit confusion

Earlier the same day, First Minister Eluned Morgan MS and Labour activists were canvassing in the Hakin ward in support of Harteveld, apparently unaware she was considering withdrawing from the race.

Campaign photographs were later shared on social media showing the First Minister and party members canvassing locally. However, observers quickly noticed the absence of the candidate herself, prompting repeated questions online about her whereabouts.

Multiple commenters asked “Where is the candidate?” beneath the post, with the situation attracting significant criticism from some social media users.

Shortly afterwards, Harteveld confirmed she was withdrawing from the election.

A post by the First Minister praising what she described as a “great response in Hakin for Nicola Harteveld & Welsh Labour” while also addressing concerns about Withybush Hospital services was later deleted after attracting a large number of comments, many of them critical of Labour and Welsh Government health policies.

Healthcare tensions backdrop

The by-election campaign has taken place against the backdrop of continuing anger across Pembrokeshire over decisions affecting Withybush Hospital, which Harteveld acknowledged had “rocked our community”.

She described personal experiences of travelling long distances for medical appointments with her partner, saying such situations contributed to frustration among residents.

The hospital controversy has become a dominant political issue locally, with strong emotions expressed during campaigning and on social media.

Political impact

Because Harteveld withdrew after the legal deadline for nominations closed, Welsh Labour cannot substitute another candidate. Her name may still appear on ballot papers depending on printing arrangements, although she is no longer campaigning.

The sequence of events left Labour campaigning in the ward without an active candidate and represents a significant setback for the party locally, particularly given the personal involvement of the First Minister in the visit.

Election background

The by-election, scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, was called following the death of Independent councillor Mike Stoddart, who had represented the Hakin ward for many years.

The remaining candidates are: