News
Health Board Chair to step down this month due to health issues
THE CHAIR of the of Hywel Dda University Health Board will step down at the end of this month due to health issues.
Bernardine Rees OBE will step down from her role as Chairman on 28th February 2019 and in the interim Vice Chair Judith Hardisty will take up the role of Acting Chair. Board Secretary,
Joanne Wilson, will work with Welsh Government to commence the recruitment process for the substantive post.
A health board spokesperson said: “We would like to wish our Chair, Mrs Bernardine Rees OBE, well following her decision to retire from Hywel Dda University Health Board.”
Announcing her decision Mrs Rees told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “It is with the deepest of regret that due to health issues, I have decided to retire from my role as Chairman of Hywel Dda
University Health Board. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as Chairman for the organisation during the past five years.
“I feel confident that the organisation, under Steve Moore’s leadership, is in a position to move ahead with an exciting health and care strategy, approved by Board in November last year, which will see lasting improvements to the health and well-being of our local population.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff for their dedication, hard work and continued commitment to providing the best possible care for our population. I have been fortunate in my position to have met so many of you and to have heard first-hand the difference you make for our patients, whether that is through providing front-line care or in supportive roles, which are critical to the NHS. I have always been so proud of your achievements and your tenacity to overcome challenges and put the patient at the centre of your work and this is what motivated me to start the Employee of the Month scheme. It has been my privilege entirely.
“I would like also like to thank those whom I worked closely with for their support to me personally as the Chairman of Hywel Dda and I wish you all the very best for the future.”
Chief Executive Steve Moore said: “I would like to pay tribute to Bernardine, a colleague and a friend whom I admire greatly and will sorely miss. Bernardine has spent her entire career dedicated to the NHS first through her nursing, then in managerial and Executive roles and more recently, we have been fortunate enough to have benefited from her leadership and tenacity in the role as Chairman for Hywel Dda University Health Board. She has led this organisation to a position in which we have a clear health and care strategy, which gives us the foundation to transform and improve. She has also been a champion for our staff and I am sure she will be missed by many of you. We thank you Bernardine and we wish you all the best in the future.”
News
Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash
THE recent announcement by Tata Steel to close the coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales has ignited a firestorm of political and industrial action, highlighting the deepening crisis within the British steel industry and the challenges facing the transition to green steel.
Jo Stevens MP, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, expressed her concerns over the impact of the closure on the Welsh steel industry and the workers affected. Stevens emphasized the need for assurances about the workers’ immediate future and pledged that a UK Labour government would invest in the steel industry to support the transition to green steel, harnessing the skills, talent, and ambition of Welsh steelworkers.
The closure, slated for Wednesday due to concerns over the ovens’ “operational stability,” has been criticized by regional Senedd Members for South Wales West, Tom Giffard MS, and Dr. Altaf Hussain MS. They accused the Labour Welsh Government of neglecting its support for the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, highlighting a lack of financial assistance since 2019 and calling for a change in response to the current developments.
Unite, the UK’s leading union, has been vocal in its opposition to Tata’s decision, describing it as a shock and a “result of years of betrayal.” The union criticized Tata for not disclosing the imminent risk of closure during recent consultations and announced a ballot for industrial action among 1,500 Tata workers. Unite insists there should be no job losses at Port Talbot or Llanwern and that a blast furnace should remain operational.
Peter Hughes, Unite’s regional secretary for Wales, called for Tata to halt its closure plans in anticipation of Labour’s promised £3 billion investment to rejuvenate the UK steel industry. He accused Tata of managing the decline of UK steel while accepting government subsidies, describing the company’s actions as “deliberate industrial vandalism.”
The closure has not only raised concerns about the future of steel production in the UK but also spotlighted the political and economic strategies required to ensure the industry’s survival and transition towards more sustainable practices. The unfolding situation underscores the need for a collaborative approach between the government, industry stakeholders, and the workforce to navigate the complex challenges ahead.
News
Firefighters tackle blaze at block of garages in Monkton
ONE person was injured as a result of a sunday afternoon garage fire in a block of garages in Monkton.
A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service told The Pembrokeshire Herald said: “At 1.31pm on March 17, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven crews were called to extinguish a fire in an alight central garage and were forced to use two breathing apparatus and two hose reels.
“The firefighters reportedly left the scene at 3.02pm after continuing to dampen the fire and check for fire spread.
“The casualty was treated by ambulance service personnel also in attendance.”
The police confirmed that a garage fire had been dealt with by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Welsh Ambulance Service attended.
News
Air ambulance called following incident at Aldi Pembroke Dock
THE WALES AIR AMBULANCE, along with the Welsh Ambulance Service and police were called on Monday morning to an incident at the Aldi supermarket car park in Pembroke Dock.
The Herald understands that the alarm was raised after a car hit a person in the car park after 9am.
We have been told that the incident involved a local taxi.
The emergency services have been asked for a comment.
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