News

Withybush Hospital: Health board plans for paediatric service cuts

Published

8 years ago

November 29, 2017

HYWEL DDA heath board’s announcement that its plans to transform clinical services are ‘to move to the next stage’ did not include the detail of what those plans include.

At a public board meeting held in Llandeilo on November 21, Board members approved the move to phase two (the Design Phase) of the Transforming Clinical Services (TCS) programme having considered the independent analysis report (undertaken by Opinion Research Services) on the TCS listening and engagement exercise (the Discover Phase), which concluded in September 2017.

The transformation consultation, in which the Board sought to seek public responses on proposed cuts to local services, was followed by an independent clinical review by Dr Alex Mayor.

The content of that review, while obliquely referred to in a Board press release, is not detailed.

The Herald examined the report before the board, on which it intends to engage in ‘a comprehensive programme of communication and engagement activities with [the] local population across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire next year’.

The Board has agreed to take these forward and to incorporate further planning of Women and Children’s services under the umbrella of our ‘Transforming Clinical Services’ programme.

The Board expresses the hope that the further engagement ‘will build on the success, and learning points, from the TCS listening and engagement exercise ‘the Big Conversation’.’

However the Board’s press release fails to mention what the recommendations actually are upon which it has set up a task and finish group ahead of public consultation on the decisions it intends to make.

The recommendations include the following:

No return to twelve hour care provision at Withybush for the Paediatric Ambulatory Care Unit (PACU)– ‘whilst recruitment attempts to all vacant posts should continue, transition to a consultant ‘delivered’ PACU model Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm by a single, integrated team of acute paediatric consultants should be explored and confirmed at the earliest opportunity’;
Consultant-led PACU services to be concentrated at Glangwili at weekends;
Acutely unwell children should be admitted directly to Glangwili;
Glangwili to be the centre for the whole board area for children and young people;
Elective paediatric surgery should return to Withybush;
Emergency paediatric surgery at Withybush should end.

Those recommendations are supported by the independent expert engaged by the Board confirming that many of the fears expressed by campaigners during the long – and ultimately unsuccessful – fight to retain core services at Withybush have come to fruition.

The papers considered by the Board state: ‘Dr Mayor has advised that, although well intentioned, the UHB’s desire to provide as much acute care as possible at WGH since 2014 without a comprehensive supporting infrastructure of 24/7 paediatric, anaesthetic and A&E skills has effectively weakened the overall acute paediatric service as limited staff resources have been stretched and care pathways have become confused’.

Dr Phil Kloer, the Board’s Medical Director, said: “It is important to reassure people that, at the present time, the operating hours of the PACU at Withybush Hospital will continue to be from 10am to 6pm, seven days a week.

“We are making significant efforts to progress the development of a safe and sustainable longer term staffing model for the unit as part of the wider Transforming Clinical Services design phase and formal consultation in 2018 and we will provide further updates as this work develops.”

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

3 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

3 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

4 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.