News

Deputy Minister visits Withybush

Published

10 years ago

February 24, 2016

Pictured (back row): Some of the international junior doctors with (front row, left to right) Dr. Chris James, Consultant Physician, Vaughan Gething, Deputy Health Minister, Bernardine Rees, Chair of Hywel Dda UHB and Erika Cowie, Deputy Medical Education Manager for Withybush

DEPUTY HEALTH MINISTER, Vaughan Gething AM, visited Withybush General Hospital on Monday (Feb 1), to meet Hywel Dda University Health Board staff and patients.

Mr Gething visited a new community-based eye care service which has reduced the journey time for hundreds of patients travelling some of the greatest distances in the UK to access eye care.

Patients in the HDUHB travel to one of two sites to access wet AMD services, either at Amman Valley Hospital, in Ammanford, or Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth.

Changes to eye services

For some patients in Pembrokeshire and south Ceredigion this has required return journeys in excess of 100 miles for review, and sometimes a second journey for treatment (injection).

Vaughan Gething said: “I’m pleased to see how the £400,000 investment from the Welsh Government is making it easier for people to get treatment for wet AMD closer to their homes – this is an example of the NHS providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”

Consultant Ophthalmologist Mr Richard Wintle responded: “This project will improve the quality of life for approximately 340 patients, often elderly and vulnerable, currently experiencing a significant travel burden. It will also release some capacity within our whole service, allowing us to treat more people who are waiting for care and improve patient outcomes.”

Minister meets new doctors

During his visit the Deputy Minister met with some of the international doctors have now been employed directly by HDUHB as clinical fellows to support the junior doctor rota and maintain emergency and medical services at the hospital for the Pembrokeshire population.

They have been provided with a two-year training scheme which mirrors many elements of the traditional core medical training (CMT) scheme for junior doctors in the UK after Withybush Hospital was not allocated any CMTs in August of this year.

The training programme offered by HDUHB is the first of its kind in Wales and aims to recruit doctors to rural hospitals in an environment of a shortage of junior doctors across the UK. As part of the scheme, the health board purchases an e-portfolio for each doctor to enable them to build their competencies and achieve qualifications just like other trainee doctors in the NHS.

Complex demands on ambulance service

We asked Mr Gething about the continuing and troubling lag in ambulance response times across the HDUHB area in general, and Pembrokeshire in particular.

The Minister told us: “The people of Pembrokeshire, and the same goes for everywhere else, are entitled to the same level of quality healthcare.

“However,” the Minister continued, “the demands placed on our emergency ambulance service are more complex than ever before and are growing yearon- year. It is clear if we are to meet these demands and ensure the best outcomes for patients, we need to transform the way in which we deliver emergency ambulance services.”

As to how that transformed service might be delivered, the Minister said: “The new clinical response model, which we will pilot in Wales, has been designed by Wales’ top ambulance service clinical leaders and is based on firm evidence. It is a move away from the system based solely on the eightminute response time target, which was introduced 42-years ago, to one which measures how successful our ambulance clinicians are in ensuring they have the most positive impact on clinical outcomes and people’s quality of life.”

But what about the crucial red call response times? “The system looks at every red call to find out establish the circumstances behind any delay: Whether the location is geographically remote, or whether a different sort of activity or first responder could deal with the call. The use of community first responders, not only paramedics, to get more quickly to incidents can be the difference between life and death.

“We take very seriously the responsibility to have appropriate response times for those who need it, that’s why we changed the model: it is about people who need a fast response.”

New models of rural healthcare

In relation to GP shortages and the continuing decline in general practice numbers, Mr Gething told us: “The shortage of GPs joining practice is a UKwide problem, and it is not only limited to Wales, or Hywel Dda.

The MInister continued: “We recognise the challenge, however, and need different models for what works and I am encouraged at the way we are finding ways of using different parts of the same workforce. Collaborative working with other professionals and innovative ways of delivering services make this area a more attractive one for GPs to come to.”

On that collaborative working, Vaughan Gething said: “I am pleased to see that Hywel Dda Health Board is working with Powys Health Board and other parts of Wales to find ways of more effectively using resources to deliver health care to people when and where we need it.

“We need to remember, however, that there are advantages to coming here to work. This is a fantastic place to live and GPs not only come to a place to work.”

Education

School issues safeguarding alert over children’s use of Roblox

Published

10 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi warns parents about addictive gameplay, unsafe chat functions and scammers

YSGOL PENRHYN DEWI in St Davids has issued a safeguarding warning to parents after concerns were raised about children’s use of the popular online gaming platform Roblox.

In a letter sent to families today (Dec 15), Assistant Headteacher Louise Gray said the school had been made aware of a series of risks linked to the platform, which is widely used by children aged 8–13 – and in some cases younger.

Roblox allows users to create and play games developed by other players. However, the school says this user-generated model can expose children to inappropriate or harmful content depending on which games they access.

Range of risks highlighted

The letter sets out several specific safeguarding concerns, including:

Inappropriate content in user-created games
Highly addictive gameplay, with daily quests and reward systems designed to increase screen time
Easily changed parental controls, allowing children to adjust settings without verification
Chat features that expose younger players to inappropriate messages
Peer pressure from in-game ‘connections’, with children believing they know other users
Emotional dysregulation linked to heavy use of the platform
Scams, including fake offers of free Robux or cosmetic items

Parents are being urged to closely monitor how their children use the platform, who they interact with, and what content they can access.

Guidance available

The school has directed families to the Welsh Government’s Hwb website for further advice on parental controls and safe use of Roblox.

A Roblox spokesperson said: “Roblox is committed to providing a safe and positive experience for every member of our community, especially children and young people. We use a combination of chat filtering, human and AI-assisted moderation, parental controls and age verification tools to help protect our users from inappropriate content or behaviour.

“Younger players have more restrictive settings by default, and features such as voice chat and unfiltered text chat are limited to age-verified users. We encourage parents and carers to make use of our safety features, review their child’s settings regularly, and talk with them about staying safe online.”

“We continuously update our policies and systems in response to emerging risks, and we work closely with safety experts and regulators to help ensure Roblox remains a secure environment for creativity and play.”

Community

Festive creativity shines as Kurtz MS meets card competition winner

Published

1 hour ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SAMUEL KURTZ, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, visited Pembroke Dock Community School on Friday 12th December to present a prize to the winner of this year’s Christmas Card Competition.

The competition invited pupils to design a festive Christmas card, with entries received from schools across the area. The standard of artwork was exceptionally high, showcasing the creativity, imagination and talent of young people in the community.

During the visit, Samuel Kurtz congratulated the winning pupil and thanked all those who took part, as well as the teachers and staff who supported the competition. Each child who entered also received a certificate in recognition of their hard work and effort.

Speaking after the presentation, Samuel said, “It was a real pleasure to visit Pembroke Dock Community School today and announce the winner of my Christmas Card competition. This year the winner is Mair Moseley, aged 10, and she designed a wonderful Santa image that really stood out. She has won a chocolate selection set and a £20 book token to enjoy over Christmas.”

He added, “ The creativity and enthusiasm shown by all the children was fantastic, and it made choosing a winner extremely difficult. I want to congratulate all the entrants and thank the staff for their ongoing support.”

Pembroke Dock Community School Headteacher, Mrs Katie Crockford-Morris, added, “We were delighted to welcome Samuel Kurtz MS to the school to present the prize. The children thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the competition, and they were incredibly proud to receive their certificates.”

The winning design will now be used as Samuel Kurtz’s official Christmas card this year, with one copy already on its way to His Majesty, King Charles.

Charity

Two Welsh families fund Childline across the UK on Christmas Day

Published

1 hour ago

December 15, 2025

Staff Writer

Joint £40,000 gift ensures vital support is available when children need it most

TWO Cardiff families have joined forces to fund the NSPCC’s Childline service across the whole of the UK on Christmas Day, ensuring children have somewhere to turn during one of the toughest times of the year.

The Peterson family and the Bowles family are each donating £20,000 as part of the charity’s One Unforgettable Day project. Their combined £40,000 contribution will cover the entire cost of running Childline for 24 hours on 25 December.

Childline operates 12 bases nationwide and offers a free, confidential service to anyone under 19, available day and night, 365 days a year. The festive period is often one of the most demanding for counsellors and volunteers; between 24 December 2024 and 4 January 2025, Childline delivered 4,261 counselling sessions.

Young people reach out to Childline for a range of reasons at Christmas, including mental health struggles, family tensions, financial worries, loneliness, and increased risks of abuse or domestic violence. With schools closed and regular support networks unavailable, demand for help typically rises.

Childline relies heavily on donations, fundraising and charitable partnerships. The support of Alan, Maggie and Hywel Peterson, and Nathan and Claire Bowles and their four children, will ensure counsellors are available throughout Christmas Day for any young person who needs them.

Hywel Peterson MBE, Chair of the NSPCC Cymru Fundraising Board, said:
“It’s an honour to help fund Childline across the whole of the UK this Christmas. This joint donation will ensure our dedicated staff and volunteers are there to support any child who needs us.”

Cardiff entrepreneur Nathan Bowles added:
“We know that Christmas can be a difficult time for some children, so our family is delighted to be joining forces with the Petersons this year to support this vital service.”

Louise Israel, Childline team manager at NSPCC Cymru’s Cardiff base, said:
“While children and young people need Childline all year round, we speak to many who find this time of year particularly difficult. It is only with the support of such generous people as the Peterson and Bowles families that our staff and volunteers can continue to be here throughout the Christmas holidays. This kindness will genuinely make a difference.”

Children can call Childline free on 0800 11 11 or visit www.childline.org.uk.
Anyone concerned about a child’s welfare can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk for advice.