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Patients in danger as ambulance response times fail to meet targets

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Plaid Cymru issued a press release this week suggesting that Pembrokeshire’s ambulance emergency response times are failing to meet their set target.

The Party claim that the response times to calls in Pembrokeshire missed the all-Wales target: that of of an ambulance reaching the scene of an incident within eight minutes of an emergency call being placed. Plaid Cymru claim that in July of this year, in Pembrokeshire, only 64.8% of life threatening calls were answered within the target eight minutes timeframe, from an all -Wales target of 65%, falling short by point two of a percent.

According to analysis by Plaid Cymru’s National Assembly team, it was discovered that only seven out of the twenty-two local authorities reached their target for more than nine months out of the last eighteen and, apparently, Pembrokeshire only just managed to meet this success rate, but performance has, as Plaid Cymru put it, ‘deteriorated worryingly this year’.

Plaid Cymru Mid and West AM Simon Thomas said of these apparently alarming figures,

“It is not surprising that the Welsh Ambulance Service is not meeting its targets. What is concerning is that there seems to be little improvement. Many of us wonder why the Welsh (Labour) Government continues to push through their plans to centralise hospital services that will require ambulances to travel further in emergency situations”

He went on to add that,

“The Health Minister must begin to tackle ambulance response times in Pembrokeshire. Plaid Cymru believes there should be better investment in planning and training of the workforce. If this happened more paramedics could make decisions and carry out treatment without the need for hospital”.

Commenting on this seemingly worrying situation, Paul Davies, AM for Preseli Pembrokeshire, said,

“The latest ambulance emergency response times for Pembrokeshire are very worrying. NHS staff work tirelessly but, sadly, Welsh Labour’s record-breaking cuts to the health budget of over £800million, in real terms, over five years are making their jobs impossible. Confidence in our health service is already at rock-bottom, and none of this will do anything to ease the worries of the people of Pembrokeshire”.

He concluded by stating that,

“It’s now time for serious change.  The closure of the Special Care Baby Unit at Withybush  Hospital would have a seriously detrimental effect on other services, such as paediatrics, A and E and, of course, the ambulance service. Labour’s Health Minister has talked of some action, following the latest ambulance service review. I will be monitoring this action to make sure the changes are effective for my constituents and implemented as soon as possible.”

A Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust spokesperson said of the perceived problem,

“Due to the increase in calls that we experience year on year we are actually reaching more and more people across Wales than ever before. July was an extremely busy month for us, with the service taking 36,964 emergency calls, up by 3,093 calls from the previous month, and 1,149 calls from the same period last year, with more than a third of these – 14,254 calls – being the most serious in nature. We recognise that we are short of the target for these most serious calls and are continuing to work with our Health Board colleagues to improve the situation. We would like to reassure the public that the Trust is firmly committed to delivering the improvement aims of its ‘Working Together for Success’ modernisation programme. We are working, and will continue to work, as hard as we can to get to patients as quickly as possible and provide the best quality of care for the people of Wales and we invite the public to support NHS Wales’ ‘Choose Well’ campaign, so that busy emergency services can help those who need them most urgently. We also ask the public only to dial 999 and attend emergency departments for life-threatening and serious illnesses and injuries – remember to keep emergency ambulances for your emergencies.”

When contacted by The Herald, the Welsh Government Press office responded to these criticisms and statistics by issuing a statement saying that,

“The McClelland Review of Welsh Ambulance Services made it very clear that our current eight minute target is only very weakly supported by clinical evidence. Work is underway to develop a new set of clinical indicators that provide a better view of the quality of ambulance provision in Wales, and these will be in place by April 2014. We are encouraged to note, though, that in Pembrokeshire 69% of ambulances arrived at scene to calls categorised as life threatening within nine minutes and 83.2% in thirteen minutes. We expect Local Health Boards to work closely with the ambulance service to improve service delivery, to ensure the people of Wales receive the high quality care they deserve.”

 

Education

Sam Kurtz quizzed by primary school pupils about how was is governed

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PUPILS at St Oswald’s VA Primary School welcomed a visit from local Senedd member Samuel Kurtz on Monday (Feb 2), as children put questions to him about how Wales is governed.

Years five and six pupils took part in an interactive session where the Senedd Cymru member explained the role of the Welsh Parliament, how laws are made, and how elected representatives support local residents.

He outlined what a Member of the Senedd does day-to-day, how decisions affecting communities are taken, and why taking part in democracy is important.

The pupils were then given the chance to quiz him directly, raising questions about politics, local issues and how young people can make their voices heard. Staff said the children showed strong interest and came well prepared.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Kurtz said: “It was a real pleasure to visit St Oswald’s and see such enthusiasm and curiosity from the pupils.

“Understanding how democracy works and how decisions are made is important, and it is encouraging to see young people taking an interest in how their community and country are run.

“I was particularly impressed by the quality of the questions, which showed they had clearly done their research.”

Teachers described the visit as a valuable opportunity to bring lessons about citizenship and Welsh democracy to life.

The school visit forms part of Mr Kurtz’s ongoing programme of meeting with schools, community groups and residents across Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire.

 

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Crime

Police confirm teacher was stabbed at school as teenager appears in court

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15-year-old charged with Section 18 GBH with intent and possession of a bladed article on education premises

POLICE have confirmed that the teacher injured during Thursday’s lockdown at Milford Haven Comprehensive School suffered stab wounds, as a 15-year-old boy appears in court today (Saturday, Feb 7).

Dyfed-Powys Police said the teenager has been charged with Section 18 grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a bladed article on education premises. He has been remanded in custody and is due before Swansea Magistrates’ Court this morning.

Emergency services were called to the school at around 3:20pm on Thursday (Feb 5) following reports that a member of staff had been assaulted by a pupil. The school was placed into immediate lockdown and police said all learners later returned home unharmed.

The injured teacher has since been discharged from hospital and is recovering with support.

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Briggs said: “We are continuing to support the victim whilst they recover from this traumatic event. Following detailed enquiries by specialist officers, injuries initially assessed and described as non-stab injuries have now been confirmed as stab wounds.

“A statement at an early stage of the investigation was based on preliminary information available at the time.

“There will continue to be a higher than usual police presence in the area over the coming days to provide further reassurance. Officers will be working closely with local secondary schools to offer support over the coming week.”

In a joint update issued by the local authority and the school, deputy headteacher Daryl John thanked staff and the small number of pupils who remained on site, saying they acted “with professionalism” and were “calm throughout”. He added that the school community was grateful for the “rapid and effective response” of the emergency services and sent best wishes to the injured colleague for a “full and speedy recovery”.

Pembrokeshire County Council leader Cllr Jon Harvey confirmed the school will reopen on Monday, with additional support available for pupils and staff affected by the incident. He said lockdown procedures are routinely rehearsed so that, in rare cases where they are needed, everyone knows what to do.

The school was closed to pupils on Friday, with the town noticeably quieter than usual as children stayed home.

Police enquiries are continuing and further updates are expected following the court hearing.

 

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Local rugby talent Osian Williams selected for Wales Under-20 clash with England

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A FORMER Haverfordwest Blues junior has earned international honours after being selected to represent Wales Under-20 rugby union team in their fixture against England.

Osian Williams, who began his rugby journey at Haverfordwest Rugby Football Club, will pull on the red jersey this evening in what marks a proud milestone for both the player and the Pembrokeshire club that helped develop his talent.

Club members said the call-up reflects years of hard work, commitment and steady progress through the ranks, with Williams recognised locally for his determination and performances on the pitch from a young age.

A spokesperson for Haverfordwest RFC said the whole club is “incredibly proud” to see one of their own step onto the international stage.

They added that it is always special to watch former junior players progress to represent their country, describing Williams’ selection as “fully deserved” and an inspiration to the next generation coming through the Blues’ youth setup.

The match against England provides a stern test for the young Welsh side, but for Williams and his family it is also a moment to savour after years of dedication to the sport.

Friends, coaches and former teammates are expected to be cheering him on from Pembrokeshire as he makes his mark in Welsh colours.

Photo caption:

Osian Williams has been selected to play for Wales Under-20s against England (Pic: Supplied).

 

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