Connect with us
Advertisement
Advertisement

News

Case not made for reopening MIUs

Published

on

Screen Shot 2016-02-02 at 12.33.11

Announced a commitment: Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has criticised a manifesto pledge by the Welsh Conservatives to reopen minor injury units in Pembrokeshire, saying that there was insufficient demand for the services provided by these units, and that the plan would divert front-line staff away from A&E wards unnecessarily.

Last week Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar announced a commitment to ‘to maintain all existing emergency departments and to re-establish minor injury units (MIUs) in community hospitals which have seen theirs axed by the Labour government – in Newtown, Tenby and Colwyn Bay and in the Rhyl/Prestatyn area.’

Coincidentally, three of these MIUs are situated in Assembly constituencies currently held by the Conservatives.

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns welcomed the pledge: “In the constituency over the last 15 years I have seen our NHS services being neglected and eroded and have fought hard to stop the dreadful closures and movement away from Withybush,” she said.

“This pledge would be absolutely fantastic for the whole future of the health service in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire – investing in Withybush and taking the awful burden off Glangwili.

“Unfortunately the list of axed MIUs is long but I have been lobbying Darren for the Tenby MIU to be included in his commitments and I am delighted that he has accepted the case for a cast iron commitment to Tenby”

Mr Millar further claimed that Wales has ‘seen the largest reductions in healthcare spending of any of the UK nations,’ and announced plans to establish a £20 million ‘Community Hospital Development Fund.’ “Labour has been running the NHS in Wales since 1997, but they are running it into the ground,” Mr Millar claimed.

“In contrast to their legacy of cuts, closures and downgrades, we are making a commitment today to secure, re-open and widen access to NHS services in Wales.

“There would be no reorganisation of the health service under a Welsh Conservative Health Minister and key minor injury units so cruelly closed by Labour, would be re-established to relieve pressure on our emergency departments and provide more convenient access to patients.

“We have always championed the retention of frontline services and consistently opposed the downgrading that has forced patients and their families to travel further for treatment.”

“UNDERUTILISED” 

In response, Health Minister Mark Drakeford claimed that the plans would provide an under-used substandard service, and suggested that the Conservative party’s UK record when in charge of the NHS was questionable at best: “The Welsh Labour Government is investing in a modern Welsh NHS,” Professor Drakeford claimed.

“According to the Treasury’s own figures, Wales spends £172 more per person on health and social services combined than in England.

“The Tories are condemning communities across Wales to unsafe and substandard services which ignore best medical advice and the gold standards which NHS services throughout the UK are striving to meet. The Tories are telling people in Tenby, Rhyl, Newtown and Colwyn Bay that they are only worth second or third best with this plan.

“By seeking to reopen minor injury units which only saw a handful of patients every week, the Tories are not just wasting money but they are threatening the very viability of the emergency departments they claim to want to protect by diverting experienced A&E staff away from the busy frontline.

“We have seen what happens to the NHS when the Tories are in charge – a top-down reorganisation no one wanted; fragmentation; increasing privatisation as the health service is sold off piece by piece and spiralling deficits. The NHS is only safe with Labour.”

Tenby MIU closed in 2013 after a survey taken during August (Tenby’s busiest month) showed that a large majority of patients could be more appropriately treated by other healthcare providers. For example, of the 224 patients seen, 43% could have been treated by a GP or Care on Call, while 19% needed treatment at Withybush Hospital A&E department.

At the time, a Hywel Dda UHB spokesperson said: “By moving forward with the closure of the Minor Injury Unit at Tenby Hospital, which currently sees a low number of attendances throughout the year, the health board will be able to redeploy our experienced nurse practitioners to enhance the Accident and Emergency Department service at Withybush Hospital for the benefit of urgent patients from across Pembrokeshire.

“Following the summer service pilot, it is clear that the majority of people only attend the unit for very minor injuries or illnesses, which can be dealt with by self care or through primary healthcare such as their GP or a local pharmacy.”

A MODERN FACILITY

Labour Assembly candidate Marc Tierney claimed that the plans showed that the Conservatives were ‘out of touch’ with issues in the constituency: “Over the last year, I’ve spoken up and lobbied the Health Board about securing primary care services in Tenby. As a result, the Health Board will bring forward an update on plans to develop an integrated model of health care for Tenby and district at its Board meeting at the end of this month,” he added.

“As our population ages, we need fresh ideas for our NHS and the challenges ahead. The important thing for me is that the community is fully engaged in planning and I know that the South East Pembrokeshire Community Health Network meets often with health bosses to discuss the new model.

“We must not forget that Tenby Cottage Hospital is a modern facility, built after a hard-fought campaign by local people and supported by the then Labour AM, Christine Gwyther. Rather than just bringing back one service like the MIU, I want to see existing services strengthened and new services delivered to meet the needs of local patients now and in the future. That is what people in Tenby want to see happen and I’ll keep championing those views wherever they need to be heard.”

The aging population is especially relevant in light of a Welsh Government announcement to bring community-based eye services to the area – with Tenby and south Pembrokeshire Cottage Hospitals being considered as venues.

At present, patients in Pembrokeshire have to travel to Amman Valley hospital – a 54 mile journey from Pembroke Dock – to access treatment for wet AMD, an age-related eye condition which results in loss of vision.

Many patients, after being reviewed, also have to make further trips for treatment, while the Welsh Government-funded pilot will be able to provide a review and injection on the same visit. It is hoped that providing this service in Tenby will free up surgical capacity in Amman Valley and Bronglais Hospitals, reducing waiting times for patients requiring cataract surgery.

Kathryn Davies, the Executive Director of Commissioning/Therapies and Health Sciences for Hywel Dda UHB said: “This project will improve the quality of life for approximately 340 patients, often elderly and vulnerable, currently experiencing a significant travel burden by providing this care within a community setting, much closer to home. 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.”

The new sites should be treating patients within the next three to four months.

“Improving our patient outcomes and experience for wet AMD is a significant priority for our health board and we are excited to be progressing this project which is in line with our strategic aim to provide more review, care and treatment as close to home as possible,” Ms Davies added.

“We have also maximised the potential to use innovation, such as training community optometrists. This is not only prudent and beneficial for the health service and its capacity to provide care to our population, but also evidence of a whole-systems approach which meets standards of care and provides a better patient experience.”

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

Published

on

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. 

Continue Reading

Business

Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

Published

on

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”

Continue Reading

Business

Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

Published

on

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.”

Continue Reading

Business22 hours ago

Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that...

News1 day ago

Police ask motorists to avoid A44 trunk road due to heavy snowfall

DYFED-POWYS POLICE have issued an appeal to motorists to avoid a 25 mile section of the A44 trunk road between...

Crime2 days ago

Woman will quit the booze after seeing shocking drunken video in court

A HAVERFORDWEST woman this week vowed to undertake ‘a complete alcohol abstinence’ after being shown court video footage of her...

News3 days ago

Family heartbroken by loss of ‘larger than life character’ in M4 crash

THE FAMILY of the man who died in a collision on the M4 motorway say ‘he will be greatly missed...

Business3 days ago

Victory for WASPI women but the fight goes on

A LANDMARK ruling by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman could benefit around 5,000 women in Ceredigion born in the...

Entertainment5 days ago

A night to remember: Symphonica Tywi’s ‘Film Fantastics’ was a triumph

ON SATURDAY (Mar 23), Haverfordwest High School was ablaze with the soaring melodies and dramatic scores of some of cinema’s...

News5 days ago

Memorial for all those affected by Covid-19 unveiled at County Hall

A LASTING tribute for Pembrokeshire loved ones lost during the Covid-19 pandemic and those working on the frontline has been...

Top News6 days ago

Princess of Wales announces cancer diagnosis and treatment

CATHERINE, the Princess of Wales, has shared her recent health struggles with the public, revealing a diagnosis that has sent...

Charity1 week ago

RNLI lifeguards back on patrol in Pembrokeshire for the Easter Holidays

RNLI lifeguards will be on patrol once again in Pembrokeshire ahead of the Easter holidays. This Saturday, 23 March 2024,...

Community1 week ago

Neglected Pembrokeshire poodles find their forever homes 

THIRTY poodle type dogs were in total rescued after they were found in an unsuitable environment where their owner also...

Popular This Week