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Chair meets ‘cancer warriors’

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Bernadine rees OBE

Bernadine rees OBE

Board Chair Bernadine Rees OBE, County Director Sue Lewis, and Head of Operations Paul Hawkins met with the ‘cancer warriors’ at Adam’s Bucketful of Hope, Haverfordwest. Speaking to us after the meeting, Chris Evans-Thomas: “The cancer warriors turned out in force and gave them a good grilling.” Cancer campaigner Lyn Neville, from Pembrokeshire Cancer Support told us: “I was concerned that when it came to the future of Ward Ten, Withybush Hospital, there were no assurances offered that it would return to being a dedicated cancer ward under a permanent consultant.

I was a cancer patient, I know that when I felt ill, I was able to ring Ward 10 and get admitted straight away if there was a problem. Now I would have to wait in A&E to be admitted. Hardly a good idea if your immune system is compromised.” Chris Evans-Thomas told us that the opinion had been offered that one of the problems the board faced in recruiting new staff was negative coverage of the board and the cuts to services at Withybush Hospital in the local media.

“Apparently when those poor consultants read all these negative comments they don’t want to come here” said Chris. “I think that the board has it in its own hands to end uncertainty by making a clear statement on the future of Withybush Hospital and cancer care in Pembrokeshire. Our visitors were at pains to say that the Chemotherapy Day Unit is definitely going ahead and there was no way that Ward 10 would not provide palliative care.

But we must remember that palliative care is only one part of cancer treatment. We continually repeated that with the money raised in Pembrokeshire, which was transferred into an unrestricted fund controlled by the board, we can refurbish the pharmacy as well as renovate Ward 10 etc. We were told Ward 10 is going to be completely refurbished and brought up to a very high standard.

In relation to the issue about the pharmacy which prepares chemotherapy drugs and the lab that prepares radioactive isotopes, our points were not addressed. We have a meeting next week with them. We have to work together to build this state of the art facility and the board expressed interest in meeting regularly with the cancer warriors. The board did ask for more charity money to meet its aims. I would have thought Pembrokeshire had given enough money to allow these projects to be completed without asking for more.

I remain hopeful about seeing the books to establish where money raised in Pembrokeshire for Pembrokeshire ended up.” Ann Cadman of Pembrokeshire Cancer COPS told The Herald: “I am glad that the board is now prepared to work with us to make sure that Pembrokeshire’s cancer patients have the best care possible. It was particularly nice that the board now have an idea about what we can and cannot do.”

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Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash

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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.

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Firefighters tackle blaze at block of garages in Monkton

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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.

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Air ambulance called following incident at Aldi Pembroke Dock

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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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