News
Neyland: Public meeting ‘to protest against proposed surgery closure’

A PUBLIC meeting has been arranged for Neyland residents to protest about the proposed closure of St Clement’s Surgery.
Argyle Medical Group has submitted an application to Hywel Dda Local Health Board to close the Branch Surgery at St. Clements Neyland.
It says this action to be the only option to enable a safe level of clinical care to be offered to all its registered patients at a time “when recruitment and retention of clinical staff is extremely challenging.”
Cllr Hancock said: “A public meeting will be held at Neyland Athletic Club next Thursday 25 January at 7pm to protest against the proposed closure of St. Clement’s Surgery.
He added: “It cannot be allowed to happen!”
Argyle Medical said on its Facebook page: “The reason for this application is to consolidate & maintain patient care services at a time of reduced GP numbers at the practice. Despite concerted attempts at GP recruitment over recent years the practice has been unsuccessful. The practice has been successful in recruiting a further Nurse & Pharmacy practitioner & is continuing to try to recruit further such practitioners.
“The practice plans to increase its capacity to deal with urgent medical problems by offering increased clinical practitioner appointments. These practitioners will be backed up by a GP to provide immediate advice as needed. It is planned this service will be provided from Argyle Surgery, Pembroke Dock alone.
“Argyle Medical Group will continue to provide the full range General Medical Services to its registered patients in Neyland and the surrounding area. In order to facilitate the enhanced same-day service at Argyle Surgery it is proposed that appointments at St. Oswald’s Surgery, Pembroke will change from a same day to a pre-booked appointment system.”
Stephen Crabb MP said “This is hugely disappointing news that St Clements Surgery feel the need to close due to a failure to recruit.
“Pembrokeshire is a fantastic place to live and work and more should have been done by the Hywel Dda University Health Board and the Welsh Government, who hold power over the NHS in Wales, to ensure that St Clements Surgery had staff in place to remain open.
“The Welsh Labour Government have known about recruitment problems in rural practices for a long time and have failed to come up with a strategy.
“The Welsh NHS, Pembrokeshire and the people of Neyland deserve better than this.
“I will speak to the local Assembly Member Paul Davies to ensure that this matter is raised urgently in Cardiff.”
Local Assembly Member Paul Davies said: “This news will come as a shock to the people of Neyland, many of whom have been patients at the St Clements practice for some time. It’s deeply disappointing that as a result of a lack of GPs, Argyle has decided to close the surgery.
“As a result of this announcement, patients from Neyland will now have to travel to Pembroke Dock for essential services and treatment and this will cause huge problems for patients without transport or with limited mobility.”
“The recruitment of health professionals has long been a problem in west Wales and my colleagues I have continued to raise this issue. Unfortunately the Welsh Government has not taken this matter seriously enough in the past.
“The Welsh Government must now work with the health board and Argyle Medical Group to find a more sustainable solution that meets the needs of the local community in Neyland. I will of course, be raising this matter with the Welsh Government, requesting that this situation is addressed as a matter of urgency and a wider strategy is developed to deal with recruitment issues in west Wales.”
Community
Carmarthenshire man missing in Thailand: Last seen on Phi Phi Island

A 26-year-old man has been reported missing in Thailand after his family lost contact with him more than eight weeks ago.
Daniel Davies was last seen on March 13 on Phi Phi Island, a popular tourist destination in southern Thailand. He had been staying at the Hangover Hostel in Bangkok prior to his disappearance.
A missing person report has been filed with Dyfed-Powys Police, and the case is now listed under reference number DP-20250329-215.
Daniel is described as being around 6ft tall, of slim build, with blonde hair and a beard. He also has tattoo sleeves on both arms.

Echoes of the Lost – a national missing persons initiative – has now joined the appeal alongside SARS Cymru, urging anyone with information to come forward. In a statement, they said: “Daniel, if you happen to see this post, please get in contact with your family. They are worried. If you wish to message us to pass information along, please feel free to do so.”
His aunt, Nicola Doran, has been sharing emotional appeals online, writing: “My nephew Daniel Davies, 26, from Llanelli – he’s gone missing in Bangkok, Thailand. He’s been reported and is now a missing person. No one has had any contact in weeks.”
Friends and family have been spreading the appeal across social media, hoping someone in Thailand may have seen him. One post reads: “Can all my mates out in Thailand, Bangkok area, please share this and keep eyes out for my lil’ kuzen – he’s been missing 8 weeks over there.”
Daniel’s disappearance has been reported to Thai police, and the UK Foreign Office is understood to be aware of the case.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police by emailing 101@dyfed-powys.police.uk or calling 101, quoting reference DP-20250329-215.
Farming
Nonsense to base farm funding on population, says union

FARMERS in Wales have warned that changes to the way agricultural support is calculated could see them lose millions in future funding, as allocations move from a needs-based system to one based on population size.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has criticised the shift, branding the move “nonsense” and “concerning,” arguing it fails to reflect the reality that Wales has more farms per head than England.
Under the former EU model, funding was distributed based on need. However, from 2025-26, support for Welsh farmers will be included in the Welsh Government’s overall budget and determined by the Barnett formula—a population-based mechanism.
Guto Bebb, Chief Executive of the FUW, told BBC Radio Wales: “This latest decision is very concerning because if there is any future increase in farm funding, Wales will be allocated a population-based 5.2% rather than the 9.2% share we previously received based on need.”
The change, announced in the UK Budget last October, has raised alarm bells among the farming community. Mr Bebb urged farmers and unions to ensure that politicians in Cardiff remain committed to backing what he described as a “crucial part of the rural economy.”
The First Minister, Eluned Morgan, had already voiced similar concerns earlier this year, warning the Welsh Affairs Committee in Westminster that the new model could leave Wales short-changed. “When it comes to agriculture, we should be significantly higher than 5%,” she said.
Despite the concerns, both the UK Treasury and Welsh Government have insisted the new settlement will benefit Welsh agriculture.
A spokesperson for HM Treasury said: “The Welsh Government is receiving over 20% more per person than the equivalent UK government spending in England. This translates to over £4 billion more in 2025-26. The full amount of agricultural funding from 2024-25 has been baselined into this settlement.”
Meanwhile, the Welsh Government said it welcomes having full discretion over agricultural support spending and confirmed that more than £366 million has been allocated this year—an increase from the previous year when farm funding was still ringfenced.
However, farming leaders remain sceptical, warning that the shift could jeopardise livelihoods in rural communities if funding does not continue to reflect the true scale and nature of Wales’ agricultural sector.
Farming
Bird flu restrictions lifted after major outbreak in Shropshire

BIRD FLU restrictions requiring poultry and captive birds to be housed indoors in part of Shropshire have been lifted.
The measures were introduced in January following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at Griffiths Family Farms, part of Oakland Farm Eggs, near Wem.
A 3km protection zone and a wider 10km surveillance zone were established around the site. The surveillance zone extended into the Wrexham local authority area.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed that disease control measures have now been completed. The area previously within the protection zone is now part of the surveillance zone only.

Around one million hens had to be culled at the site—one of the largest poultry farms in the UK—after the virus was detected in the flock.
Under protection zone rules, all poultry and captive birds must be kept indoors. Surveillance zone rules require premises to keep records of all poultry and egg movements in and out of the area.
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