News
Hospital records blunder did not cause death


Inquest: Milford Haven Town Hall • Pic: Gareth Thomas
AN INQUEST into the death of 49-year-old Peter Francis Jones from Holloway in Haverfordwest was held at the Coroner’s Court in Milford Haven on Tuesday (Feb 2).
Acting Coroner’s Officer Gareth Warlow said that Mr Jones had never been married, but had one son.
The deceased had attended Milford Haven Central School and went on to work in electrical shops for the majority of his life. Before he opened his own business – Connect Appliance Repairs in Haverfordwest – in 1995, Mr Jones was a heavy drinker. The opening of his shop however saw his issue with alcohol come to a halt.
As Mr Jones got older, his health deteriorated and problems with his spine meant that he was in and out of hospital and prescribed Morphine.
In the last few months of his life, Mr Jones’ family and friends noticed that his stomach began to swell.
On May 15, 2015, Mr Jones collapsed while in Haverfordwest and was taken to Withybush Hospital. He had consumed a large amount of alcohol, he had vomited and he was unresponsive.
As there were no beds available at Withybush, so Mr Jones was transferred to Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli. He was then transferred back to Withybush some days later.
Discharged on May 22, Mr Jones was told that he would receive a letter to attend an ultra-sound appointment to diagnose the swelling of his stomach. Due to the fact he was unhappy with his treatment, Mr Jones put in a letter of complaint to the hospital.
On May 26, Mr Jones went to see his doctor because he was concerned about his swollen stomach. He was told to change his lifestyle and to wait for the ultra-sound appointment. The doctor also prescribed Mr Jones anti-depressants and gave him pain relief.
That evening, Mr Jones went to bed as normal with his close friend, whom he was staying with. When she woke at 6am, she noticed that Mr Jones’ breathing was raspy, before it became erratic. She checked his pupils to find that they were very small and therefore called the emergency services.
Mr Jones was taken to A&E, where his health deteriorated, and he was pronounced dead at 7.10am on Wednesday, May 27.
Mr Jones’ mother, Margaret Jones, spoke at the inquest. She discussed the fact that she was unhappy that her son arrived at Prince Philip Hospital with no medical papers, so doctors were only able to deal with the situation based on what they were told and what was before them.
Mrs Jones also handed pictures over to the coroner to highlight her son’s swelling.
Daniel Hauser, who conducted a postmortem of Mr Jones’ body on May 28, spoke at the Coroner’s Court.
Mr Hauser said that Mr Jones was “very healthy person for his age.” He said that there were no major concerns while he conducted the external exam and commented that there were no signs of swelling.
He added that there was nothing out of the ordinary inside Mr Jones’ body as his body was in “very good condition” with “no major findings.”
Mr Hauser then read out a toxicology report, which highlighted the presence of Morphine and Diazepam.
He read that the level of morphine was of a concentration which had caused death in past cases and said the combination with Diazepam could have contributed to his death.
He said: “The postmortem revealed no obvious cause of death I would be happy to give as a cause of death, but the statement of the toxicology report reads that the level of Morphine has been associated with fatality. I believe it was the combined effect of drugs which caused his death.”
Coroner Gareth Lewis came to the conclusion that Mr Jones’ death was drug related and stated that while his parents were rightly concerned about his swelling, it did not cause his death.
Crime
Goodwick man jailed for stealing prescription tablets from partner

A 47-year-old man from Goodwick has been sentenced to jail after admitting to stealing his partner’s prescription medication.
Andrew Gibbs, of Allt Y Carne, appeared at Swansea Crown Court where he admitted taking four Pregabalin tablets from his long-term girlfriend on February 14.
Prosecuting, Alycia Carpanini told the court that Gibbs had taken the tablets while drinking in the living room earlier that day. He was arrested later that evening on unrelated matters, and officers found the medication in his possession.
During his arrest, Gibbs admitted aloud to police that he had stolen the tablets. He later confirmed the theft in a prepared statement during interview.
The court heard that Gibbs has a lengthy criminal history, with 35 previous convictions covering 68 offences. He had previously faced a series of serious allegations, including actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation against his partner, as well as two further assaults. However, those charges were dropped after the complainants chose not to support the prosecution.
In mitigation, defence barrister Dan Griffiths said his client had been cooperative with police from the outset and had already spent time in custody since his arrest.
Judge Paul Thomas KC imposed a 14-day custodial sentence for the theft, acknowledging the time Gibbs had already spent on remand. He will be released shortly under supervision.
Community
PCSOs and pupils join forces for Pembroke Dock litter pick

DYFED-POWYS POLICE Community Support Officers (PCSOs) 8042 and 8020 joined staff at McDonald’s and Year 5 and 6 pupils from Cosheston VC School for a community litter pick around Pembroke Dock.
As part of the school’s ongoing environmental project, the pupils helped collect seven bags of rubbish while keeping a detailed log of the types of litter found.
PCSOs are uniformed civilian members of police staff who work to support regular police officers and engage with the community. Their involvement helped promote positive relationships between local police and young people.
The event aimed to raise awareness about the importance of looking after the local environment and encouraged children to take pride in their community.
Members of the public are reminded to dispose of their waste responsibly and use the bins provided.

Community
Joyce Watson meets apprentices at Haverfordwest transport hub

A VISIT to the site of the new Haverfordwest public transport interchange has highlighted the role of apprentices and skilled workers in delivering the major infrastructure project.
Joyce Watson MS, who represents Mid and West Wales in the Senedd, toured the construction site on Friday (Mar 21), meeting with workers and hearing how the scheme is creating opportunities for local people.
Mrs Watson, who chairs the Senedd cross-party group on construction and co-chairs the cross-party group on apprenticeships, was briefed on progress by Kier Construction’s project manager Dean Williams and Sheila Holmes, engagement adviser for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Speaking following the visit, Mrs Watson said: “The Haverfordwest public transport interchange will transform the town’s transportation infrastructure and boost the local economy.
“With around a year’s work still to go, it’s already offering high-quality job opportunities, and I was delighted to meet the talented apprentices working on-site.”
Among those she met was Matthew Thomas, a local trainee working on the project.
Mrs Watson added: “It was a pleasure to meet Matthew, and I believe he has a great future ahead of him.”
Dean Williams, from Kier Construction, said: “It was great to welcome Joyce Watson MS for a tour of our Haverfordwest public transport interchange project. This scheme for Pembrokeshire County Council will deliver a modern transport hub for the local community, improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and visitors alike.”
CITB’s Sheila Holmes added: “We are pleased to be supporting Kier Construction in developing their supply chain for this infrastructure scheme. By doing so, we can invest in local skills, which are vital to the sector and to the regional economy. Projects like this help ensure we meet future skills demands.”
The interchange is part of the Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro programme and has so far received nearly £17 million from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund.
Once completed, the new facility will include improved pedestrian and cycle access, a more efficient bus station with seven bays and upgraded passenger facilities, and a modern multi-storey car park.
The scheme is commissioned by Pembrokeshire County Council as part of its town centre regeneration strategy.
The visit was organised as part of Open Doors, a national initiative by Build UK that takes visitors behind the scenes at live construction sites to showcase the range of careers in the industry.
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