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Plans progress for Ward 10 facilities

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Withybush Hospital: Plans for new Ward 10 facilities progress

Withybush Hospital: Plans for new Ward 10 facilities progress

LOCAL fundraisers and key stakeholders came together this week (Oct 12) to hear about the latest plans for a new Specialist Palliative Care, Haematology and Oncology Ward (formerly known as Ward 10) at Withybush Hospital.

Hywel Dda University Health Board, in partnership with its stakeholders, is currently preparing detailed plans for the multi-mullion pound investment. The proposed new facilities will provide a better environment for patients through modern, purpose-built areas which are dementia friendly, and support those with bariatric requirements. It is also hoped the new facility will strengthen services and encourage appointment of key posts within the hospital.

Dr Iain Robertson-Steel, Hospital Director at Withybush, said: “We are making good progress in bringing together all the necessary plans and documentation for the development and have recently shared detailed layout plans with staff, stakeholders and the public. We will shortly be going out to tender for the building works which will then inform the business case to be submitted to Welsh Government for consideration early next year and, subject to the necessary approvals, enable the development to go ahead.

“It’s really important to recognise the involvement and engagement of our staff, partners and key charitable representatives in the local community with this exciting development; we very much value their contribution and will continue to work closely with them, and share further updates with the public, as we move forward.

“We also wish to acknowledge the fantastic efforts of Elly Neville and her family and we congratulate them as Elly’s Ward 10 Flag Appeal fund recently hit the £46,000 mark. This will greatly contribute to improving the patient experience on Ward 10.”

Elly’s Ward 10 Flag Appeal started back in May last year; however, last week it hit a new milestone, having raised over £50k.

Elly’s father, Lyn Neville, commented: “As a family we are happy to be able to give back to Ward 10 following the care I received and, more recently, my sister. We would like to thank the Pembrokeshire public and business community for their support of Elly’s Appeal and thank the Ward 10 staff for their amazing work and dedication.”

Around £345k has now been raised by the Health Board’s Pembrokeshire Cancer Services Fund and Elly’s Ward 10 Flag Appeal; however, further funding for the development is dependant on monies being secured from the Welsh Government.

Helen Johns, Senior Sister of Ward 10, said: “We are extremely grateful for the support our local community has given to this scheme. In addition to local fundraising efforts, patients and their relatives have given their precious time to consider and comment on the proposed floor plans, meaning that the ward will be designed by Pembrokeshire people for Pembrokeshire people.”

The development is part of Hywel Dda University Health Board’s wider plans to upgrade a range of dementia friendly facilities for patients at Withybush Hospital, including the new Pembrokeshire Haematology and Oncology Day Unit, which will replace the existing Chemotherapy Day Unit.

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Business

Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost

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RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.

The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.

There is a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”

SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION

As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.

Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.

“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”

ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS

An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.

“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.

The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.

Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”

GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES

The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.

The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.

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Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children

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A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.

The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.

There were protests outside MacDonald’s house in September 2024 (Pic: Herald)

Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.

During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.

MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.

Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.

Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.

Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.

Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.

MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.

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Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home

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A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.

Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).

In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.

PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”

This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.

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