Community groups join weekly drop-in as councillors donate food and live music set to return next Friday

VC GALLERY’S Friday breakfast club in High Street, Haverfordwest, drew a strong mix of ages this week as local support organisations joined residents for a shared meal and a catch-up in the charity’s community space.

The VC Gallery said the session “went down a real treat”, with “super cool vibes” and people coming together to enjoy the welcoming environment.

Breakfast was kindly donated by Haverfordwest Town Council, with volunteers and staff helping to set up and run the morning.

Guests included representatives from Citizens Advice Pembrokeshire, Pembrokeshire Advocacy Service and homelessness charity The Wallich, as the groups connected with residents and shared information about the help available locally.

VC Gallery said it was “great to be working towards a common goal for our community” and thanked those involved for their support.

Next week’s breakfast club will feature new guests, with live music also set to return as Goose is expected back to play during the session.

The VC Gallery is based in Haverfordwest and runs a range of projects aimed at supporting veterans and the wider community.

PEMBROKESHIRE TRAVEL DISRUPTION

STORM Ingrid swept across the Celtic Sea on Saturday (Jan 24), bringing rough seas, heavy rain and near gale-force winds to Pembrokeshire — prompting ferry cancellations and restrictions on the Cleddau Bridge.

Irish Ferries cancelled all sailings on its Pembroke Dock to Rosslare route today due to adverse weather conditions. The 2.45am sailing from Pembroke Dock to Rosslare was cancelled, along with the 8.45am sailing from Rosslare to Pembroke Dock. This afternoon’s 2.45pm sailing from Pembroke Dock to Rosslare was also called off.

The ferry operator said passengers who are happy to travel on an alternative future sailing can do so without the need to contact the company. Irish Ferries’ sailings for tomorrow, Sunday (Jan 25), are currently scheduled to run on time.

Pembrokeshire County Council also imposed restrictions on the Cleddau Bridge, closing it to high-sided vehicles as gusty conditions hit the county. The council said the bridge is closed to vehicles over 1.9m in height.

Lorries, transit vans, minibuses, Land Rovers, caravans, trailers and vehicles carrying wind-sensitive loads — including items on roof racks — have been told not to cross while the restriction is in place. Motorcycles and bicycles are also categorised as “at risk” and are advised not to use the crossing during high-sided closures.

A yellow Met Office weather warning for rain remains in force for Pembrokeshire and parts of Ceredigion until 10:00pm, with the forecaster warning that winds approaching gale force could worsen the impacts of the weather.

Along the coast, conditions were dramatic through the morning, with huge waves crashing into Saundersfoot Harbour as the storm pushed in, bringing rough seas and spray over exposed areas.

People are being urged to take extra care when travelling, avoid unnecessary journeys where possible, and keep back from coastal paths, sea walls and harbour areas during the worst conditions.

HYWEL DDA UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD will hold an Extraordinary Board meeting over two days next month to consider the future model for nine key services included in its Clinical Services Plan.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 18 and Thursday, February 19, 2026, and will focus on options for change in critical care, dermatology, emergency general surgery, endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, stroke, radiology and urology.

The Health Board recently consulted with local communities on proposals designed to tackle service fragilities, improve standards and reduce waiting times for people needing diagnosis and treatment.

Mark Henwood, Executive Medical Director, said the current model cannot continue.

“We know that these services are fragile and cannot continue as they are. Our clinical teams are spread across multiple sites and recruitment is an issue across the NHS,” he said.

“Our hospitals require ongoing maintenance, with some parts approaching or having reached the end of their intended lifespan. We need to make decisions on the changes needed to address these fragilities, so our services raise standards and meet the needs of our population into the future.”

An independent consultation report prepared by Opinion Research Services (ORS) has now been received and is available on the Health Board’s website. The report summarises feedback from the public consultation, including more than 4,000 questionnaire responses, alongside views gathered at public events, staff meetings and stakeholder sessions. More than 4,000 people also attended Health Board events and meetings during the consultation.

At the February meeting, Board members will consider the ORS report alongside a wider evidence pack, including an update on what has changed since the Issues Paper was published in March 2024. The Issues Paper set out the challenges facing the nine services and why change was needed. The update brings together the latest information on workforce and service resilience, the condition of estates, operational pressures, regional working, new clinical standards and how services link to each other.

The Board will also review refreshed impact assessments, which set out the likely effects of the proposed changes on people, services and the environment, and how negative impacts could be reduced. These include Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs), looking at the impact on people with protected characteristics and Welsh language needs, and Quality Impact Assessments (QIAs), considering patient safety, effectiveness and experience.

Health, environmental and climate sustainability impacts will also be considered, alongside transport analysis for emergency transfers and non-emergency patient transport, and programme assessments covering capital requirements, workforce and finance.

As part of the decision-making process, proposals will be assessed on whether they are clinically sustainable, deliverable, accessible, aligned with the Health Board’s long-term strategy, and financially sustainable.

In some cases, the Board may make provisional decisions which require further engagement or additional information before a final option is agreed. The Board will also consider how any changes could be implemented and whether this would need to happen in phases.

The Health Board said it has worked with clinical leaders to develop the options, and that consultation feedback is a vital part of the process. Alongside the options consulted on, Board members will also consider alternative ideas put forward during the consultation.

Dr Neil Wooding, Chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board, thanked those who took part.

“Thank you to everyone who shared their views during the consultation. The Board will be carefully considering the independent ORS consultation report alongside the latest evidence and impact assessments,” he said.

“The consultation report provides an important foundation for our discussions, but it is one of several factors that we must consider. We have a responsibility to weigh public feedback together with clinical evidence, workforce considerations, sustainability challenges and the need for services to meet the highest possible standards.”

“These decisions will shape our services for the longer term, so it is essential that we take the time needed to reach well informed, balanced conclusions. Above all, we must ensure that the services we provide meet people’s needs, both now and into the future.”

Lee Davies, Executive Director of Strategy and Planning, said the aim of the plan is to strengthen services and improve outcomes.

“Community and staff feedback helps us focus on what matters most to people, while programme assessments show what is practical and safe to deliver,” he said. “Together, we will identify changes we can make now, those that need more detailed planning and where further engagement is the right next step.”

The Extraordinary Board meeting will be broadcast online. Board papers and a link to the meeting will be published on the Health Board’s website a week in advance.

More information on the Clinical Services Plan, including the full ORS report, is available on the Health Board’s website.