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Health services reviewed

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A much-loved and valued service: South Pembs Hospital

A much-loved and valued service: South Pembs Hospital

The Health Board has announced that it is to review the care and support provided from South Pembrokeshire Hospital in the New Year. Along with Pembrokeshire County Council, it will consider whether any improvements or changes are required to meet patient and customer need. The review will consider services and activity that is jointly funded and talk to staff, patients, partners and stakeholders about their needs and ideas about future service provision.

It will include a comprehensive review of: day care and rehabilitation/ reablement for adults, including therapy input inpatient services which include 35 health and 5 social beds support services including administration, estates, hotel services, transport accommodation space for health and social care staff and provision within the area for visiting services Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive of the Health Board Joe Teape explained: “We know that South Pembrokeshire Hospital Health & Social Care Resource Centre is a much loved and valued service within the local community. It’s really important that we take a careful look at the service model in the facility to ensure it is best meeting need and is having a positive impact for patients, including their outcomes and their experience of care.

“We also can’t ignore the external environment we are working within in health and social care and the future demographics of our population. This makes it really important to ensure our services are sustainable and make the best use of our resources for maximum patient benefit.” The review will consider what current service models are like and how they are performing, consider if there is potential for change and look at alternative models of care, and agree how the University Health Board and Local Authority can continue to work together on areas of mutual benefit. The review will include discussion with staff, service users and wider patient representatives through the Community Health Council.

The review will also consider impact of changes in relation to policy, fair charging and the impact of the forthcoming Social Services and Well Being Wales Act. Mr Teape stressed: “At this stage we are not consulting on any service change, but rather taking a close and prudent look at our services to ensure they are working in the best interests of our patients and population and to consider any potential changes and improvements that could be made.

We want to do this with our patients, staff and partners using the principles of co-production and options to ensure that models are inclusive and the right solutions for this particular locality and Pembrokeshire.” A project group has been established , with representation from doctors, therapists, medicines management, health and social care management, finance, human resources, estates, third sector providers, wider staff representation and invited representation from Hywel Dda Community Health Council Pam Marsden, Director of Social Services and Leisure for Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “As a Local Authority we are working closely with the Health Board. We want to ensure services continue to improve, are value for money and meet need. Both agencies need to make the best use of resources. We are looking forward to hearing from all stakeholders about this important facility.”

The Health Board and Local Authority will be arranging a series of stakeholder meetings and regular meetings with staff and will produce regular briefings for all parties. Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Simon Thomas has appealed to hospital users to give their views during a review of the South Pembrokeshire Hospital in Pembroke Dock. Mid and West AM Simon Thomas said: “I’m urging people to make their views known during the review. The Pembroke Dock site is valued locally. “The Party of Wales welcomes the health board and Pembrokeshire Council working together – joint working is something we have promoted in the National Assembly.

“In a deal with the Welsh Government Plaid Cymru secured £8million for an Intermediate Care Fund for the region. It was designed to alleviate some of the problems within the emergency care system by providing alternatives to hospitalisation and support independent living. Ultimately we want health and social services to come together.” Speaking in Pembroke Dock, Marc Tierney said: “The review of South Pembrokeshire hospital is unexpected. “I have visited the hospital and know local people who have accessed care up on Fort Road. We have already experienced the loss of the Minor Injuries Unit which added to the local GP caseload and forced other to seek treatment at Withybush with patients needing to pay bridge tolls and additional fuel costs.”

Mr Tierney continued: “The local authority budget is under pressure and Pembrokeshire Council is looking at all angles to reduce costs. So a review on doing things better isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But the facts speak for themselves – our population is aging, patient needs are increasingly complex and Tory austerity is strangling public service spending. “I can see real benefits in bringing health and social care together and working more closely with the third sector to support people makes sense. The PIVOT scheme has already proven this in Pembrokeshire.” Mr Tierney urged residents to respond to the Health Board’s review: “Whilst I would encourage patients to feed in their views, without any proper consultation it is difficult to know what arguments to make to ensure services are maintained, beds aren’t lost and the patients who require the excellent care and support currently offered by South Pembs continue to receive what they need in a setting close to their home. “I will be meeting with the Health Board in the new year expressing my view that South Pembs is, and must remain, an important centre for delivering health care this side of the Cleddau Bridge.”

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Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

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It’s crunch time for all rugby clubs around the county, whether promotion is their aim or fighting relegation or even just trying to improve their league position, it’s now or never. 

Last weekend saw an important win for Fishguard in division two west which should put any relegation fears to bed completely. James Griffiths added an impressive 18 points for the Seagulls as they defeated Nantgaredig 33-19. 

Elsewhere in the second division, Milford were beaten 32-8 by a good Lampeter outfit. The Mariners are still a little too close for comfort with the drop zone but should have enough quality to see them safe. 

At the other end of the table Tenby sit in second place and have played fewer games than leaders St Clears and third place Lampeter. They won impressively again last weekend, beating Pontyberem 64-19 at Haywood Lane. Fletcher Broadhurst impressed with two tries as did Hywel Baker who also grabbed himself a brace. Another excellent performance in an outstanding season so far in which promotion would be the absolute icing on the cake. 

In Division Three West, Pembroke were well beaten by Laugharne 74-15 in which the outstanding Liam Price and Nico Setaro both crossed the whitewash 4 teams a piece. The latter also added 7 successful conversions. 

There was a local derby at Pill Parks where Llangwm hosted Pembroke Dock Quins and it was an exciting clash. The visitors won narrowly 28-23, Craig Barnett and Gethin Bradney both scored two tries for the Quins. The Wasps battled hard and will be proud of their performance, Gethin Thomas impressed for the hosts with two tries of his own but it wasn’t enough to secure the points. 

St David’s hosted the high flying Cardigan outfit and were unable to score in reply to the visitors 20 points, with it ending 20-0. The Saints however won’t be losing too much sleep over it as they have had a great season so far. 

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Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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