News

Patients in danger as ambulance response times fail to meet targets

Published

13 years ago

September 6, 2013

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.”

Charity

Toy Story fans fill charity toy box at Haverfordwest cinema

Published

3 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Donations pour in for SNAP Specialist Play as families embrace Toy Story 5 launch

A TOY STORY-themed charity appeal at a Haverfordwest cinema has got off to a flying start, with families donating toys to support children with additional needs across Pembrokeshire.

The Palace Cinema has teamed up with local charity SNAP Specialist Play to collect new and pre-loved toys during screenings of the newly released Toy Story 5.

The appeal centres around an “Andy’s Toys” donation box, inspired by the beloved Pixar films, which has already been filled by generous filmgoers.

***Toy Story magic: The Palace Cinema foyer has been transformed with themed decorations to celebrate the film’s release***

Cinema manager Hannah Cramp said the response from the community had exceeded expectations.

Families attending opening screenings have arrived carrying bags of toys, with many children keen to share their own treasured items to help others.

The cinema has transformed its foyer into a colourful Toy Story-themed experience, complete with hand-painted decorations, character silhouettes, bunting and famous film slogans including “Reach for the Sky” and “To Infinity and Beyond”.

Many visitors have also embraced the spirit of the occasion by attending in costume as their favourite Toy Story characters.

***Specialist support: SNAP’s sensory facilities help children with additional needs learn and develop through play***

The toys are being donated to SNAP Specialist Play, a charity based within the Child Health Department at Withybush Hospital.

SNAP supports pre-school children with additional and complex needs through specialist play sessions designed to encourage communication, physical development and sensory learning.

Its facilities include sensory rooms, therapeutic play spaces and bespoke equipment used by speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

Project manager Cindy Jenkins said the charity was delighted by the partnership and grateful for the generosity shown by local families.

She said every toy donated would be put to good use, either during specialist play sessions, at family events, or through seasonal initiatives such as Christmas gift boxes for children and their siblings.

The appeal will continue until mid-July, with organisers hopeful that even more donations will be received over the coming weeks.

Anyone attending Toy Story 5 at the Palace Cinema is invited to bring along a new or good-quality pre-loved toy to support the appeal.

Cover photo:

Fancy dress fun: Palace Cinema manager Hannah Cramp helping launch the Toy Story charity appeal.

Health

Medicine shortages now ‘most severe on record’, health leaders warn

Published

3 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PATIENTS are facing some of the worst medicine shortages ever seen in the UK, with pharmacists warning the situation now poses a serious risk to safety.

The National Pharmacy Association said shortages affecting commonly used medicines are becoming more frequent, lasting longer, and causing increasing disruption for patients, GP surgeries and pharmacies.

The warning comes as Serious Shortage Protocols for Creon, used by people with pancreatic cancer and cystic fibrosis to help digest food, have been in place since May 2024 and have now been extended until July 10, 2026.

HRT treatment Estradot has also been under a Serious Shortage Protocol since December 2024, with the current extension also running until July 10.

Patients travelling between pharmacies

A survey by the National Pharmacy Association found that 98 per cent of pharmacies had encountered patients who had visited several pharmacies in one day to find a prescription.

It also found that 96 per cent of pharmacies believed the current situation posed a serious risk to patient safety, while 89 per cent said they had been unable to dispense a medicine at least once a day because of supply problems.

Some pharmacy teams have also faced anger and abuse from patients unable to obtain medication.

Olivier Picard, Chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “Medicine shortages are becoming more frequent, lasting longer and causing increasing disruption for patients.

“These shortages are some of most severe the UK has experienced.

“It is deeply distressing to find patients who have travelled from pharmacy to pharmacy to find the medicines they need without success.”

Calls for urgent taskforce

The NPA is calling on the government to convene an emergency taskforce involving manufacturers, wholesalers, clinicians and pharmacists.

It also wants changes to rules which currently stop pharmacists from making simple substitutions, such as changing a tablet to a capsule or a cream to an ointment, even where a safe alternative is available.

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, President of the Royal College of GPs, said medicine shortages were frustrating for patients, GPs and pharmacists, and added pressure to already stretched services.

She said the College supported pharmacists being able to make limited changes to prescriptions where a medicine is unavailable and a safe alternative exists.

She added: “The most important thing is that patients are able to access the medication they need safely and without delay.”

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust and Pancreatic Cancer UK have also raised concerns about the impact of shortages of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, including Creon, on people who rely on the medication to digest food, maintain weight and stay well enough for treatment.