HYWEL DDA Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, has supported the Older Adult Community Mental Health Teams (OACMHTs) and Older Adult Mental Health Inpatient Wards by funding board games and paint packs.

Generous donations to the NHS charity have funded seven ‘All About Us’ board games, a game developed for people living with dementia to focus on the power of life story telling and mindfulness, and seven ‘Aqua Paint Packs’ which have also been specifically designed for people living with dementia to express themselves creatively and find calm.

Lara Schmidt, Occupational Therapist (OT), said: “We’re incredibly pleased that charitable donations have allowed us to purchase these items for the OACMHTs and Older Adult Mental Health Inpatient Wards across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

“The ‘All About Us’ board game offers the opportunity to utilise as a one-to-one assessment tool as well as in group settings.

“From an OT perspective, the board game invites our service users to think and talk about who they are, their experiences, feelings and values as well as their life roles. This will support strengthening of identity, independence and sense of purpose whilst enabling OTs to build a therapeutic relationship and better understand personal histories of our service users.

“The illustrations on the Aqua Paint Packs are specifically designed for the older adult population and offer opportunities for reminiscence and conversation. For our service users, aqua painting is a low-risk activity that still offers an enriching experience as aqua painting can exercise imagination, and enable people to experience joy and a sense of accomplishment.”

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

Sands report reveals widespread trauma and lack of support after baby loss

BEREAVED parents across Wales are being “lost in the system” and left to suffer in silence after the death of a baby, according to a major new report from the charity Sands.

Published on Wednesday (Jul 10), the report highlights shocking gaps in mental health support for grieving parents, with many saying they were not even offered help. Some described being told they were “not eligible” for services unless they were suicidal.

One father said: “I did ask to speak to someone but was told that because I wasn’t suicidal there was nothing available to me.”

Another parent said they were passed from one service to another: “I kept being told it wasn’t the right service and someone else would help. But nobody ever did.”

Baby loss trauma overlooked

The report, titled Lost in the System, is based on the first detailed study of its kind focusing on bereaved parents in Wales. It reveals that:

• 70% of parents experienced anxiety or depression after their baby died.
• 47% suffered post-traumatic stress.
• 43% had suicidal thoughts.
• Fewer than one in four accessed NHS mental health services.

Sands said the findings reflect a broken system where the trauma of baby loss is not taken seriously enough by mental health services, and where support is patchy, delayed, or completely unavailable.

Catherine Hamilton, Head of Policy at Sands, said: “No parent should be left feeling alone and desperate after their baby dies. We urgently need a system that recognises the impact of baby loss on mental health and responds with compassion and action.”

Mothers and fathers sidelined

The report found that while mothers were sometimes offered support, fathers were frequently overlooked altogether.

One father said: “Nobody even asked how I was. I had to be strong for my partner, but inside I was falling apart.”

Sands is calling for all health boards in Wales to implement clear care pathways for parents following baby loss and to ensure both parents are actively supported, regardless of gender.

Call for urgent change

The charity is urging the Welsh Government and NHS Wales to treat the mental health of bereaved parents as a priority, recommending:

• Fast-track access to trauma-informed mental health care.
• Improved staff training.
• Better coordination between maternity, primary care and mental health services.
• Equitable access for all parents, including fathers and same-sex partners.

Sands is also encouraging members of the public to support the campaign by contacting their local representatives via: www.sands.org.uk/lostinthesystem

For more information or support, visit: www.sands.org.uk/support

Jacob Robertson claims Swansea Bay Health Board ordered unlawful mental health assessment the day after his story appeared online

A YOUNG patient receiving care under Swansea Bay University Health Board says he was subjected to a sudden and unlawful mental capacity assessment as retaliation for going public with concerns about his treatment.

Jacob Robertson, 19, has accused the Health Board of attempting to silence him using what he describes as “a misuse of clinical tools for non-clinical purposes” following the publication of his story by Wales Online in May.

The following day, he says he was unexpectedly summoned into a room at Cefn Coed Hospital where two doctors and a nurse were waiting — with a capacity assessment form already prepared.

“There was no warning, no advocate, no explanation,” said Mr Robertson. “The doctor literally said, ‘Don’t know why to be honest… I was just told to do it.’ That’s not how lawful assessments work. It was clearly ordered from above — an abuse of power to intimidate me.”

Mr Robertson was ultimately found to have capacity, but says the process itself breached guidance under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and occurred without proper notice, consent, or justification. He has submitted a formal complaint and says he intends to escalate the matter to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

He alleges this is part of a wider pattern of harmful decision-making within the Health Board, including failures in risk management, denial of access to NICE-recommended therapies, and what he describes as “institutional attempts to discredit or silence whistleblowers.”

Mr Robertson is diagnosed with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD). Despite multiple consultant psychiatrists and AMHP social workers recommending Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), he says the service refused to offer the therapy on age-related grounds — a reason he claims breaches national guidance.

In addition, he has raised safety concerns after being hospitalised following an anaphylactic reaction to Brazil nuts, despite his known allergy being recorded. He says no follow-up was undertaken, and that nurses had dismissed his earlier complaints as “attention seeking.”

In correspondence seen by The Herald, Mr Robertson also challenges inaccurate medical records, including a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that he says was ruled out by internal assessments but continued to appear in his clinical notes.

His online petition calling for a public investigation into Swansea Bay mental health services has now gathered over 3,000 signatures. In the petition, he draws attention to multiple deaths associated with Ward F at Cefn Coed Hospital, including those of Andrew Davies, Jean Pike, and Nicolas Harrison — each the subject of a coroner’s Prevention of Future Deaths report.

“The truth is I wouldn’t still be here if I hadn’t fought this hard,” he told The Herald. “But I shouldn’t have to. The way I’ve been treated for raising genuine, fact-based concerns has been nothing short of hostile.”

HEALTH BOARD DECLINES TO COMMENT ON INDIVIDUAL CASE

When approached for comment, Swansea Bay University Health Board issued the following statement: “Strict confidentiality rules mean we are unable to comment on individual patients in our care and therefore cannot comment on the claims being made. However, we can confirm we are aware of the patient’s concerns, and we are working to better understand and hopefully resolve them. We actively encourage patients to always let us know if they have any concerns.”

COMPLAINTS ESCALATING

The capacity assessment complaint is now one of several issues Mr Robertson is pursuing. He has submitted three formal complaints, and has pledged to bring matters to the ombudsman if the Health Board does not take meaningful action.

A video recorded by Mr Robertson outlining the capacity assessment incident is available on YouTube and includes audio excerpts he says prove the process was conducted improperly.

The Herald understands Mr Robertson has the backing of both his mental health advocate and legal support in asserting that the capacity assessment lacked lawful basis.

CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY AND REFORM

Jacob Robertson’s case is now one of the most high-profile patient-led campaigns to emerge from Swansea Bay’s mental health system in recent years. His detailed documentation, willingness to speak publicly, and insistence on accountability reflect growing frustration among service users across Wales.

While the Health Board says it is “working to better understand” the issues raised, campaigners argue that deeper cultural change is required.

“The problem isn’t that they don’t know,” said Mr Robertson. “It’s that they don’t want to admit what they already know. And until they do, people will continue to be harmed — or worse.”

His fight for answers — and for access to safe, appropriate care — continues.

If you or someone you know has been affected by mental health care failings at Swansea Bay University Health Board, contact us in confidence at [email protected]