A NEW weekly clinical support service has been launched at Withybush Hospital to improve access to specialist palliative care advice for patients, families and carers across Pembrokeshire.

The service, run by the Paul Sartori Foundation, began in mid-June and is available every Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm.

It is based in the Hywel Dda University Health Board Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service hub, located just to the left of the main hospital entrance.

The drop-in service means people can speak directly with a member of the Paul Sartori clinical team without needing an appointment.

Support is available for families navigating palliative care, as well as those looking for practical advice, help sourcing equipment for use at home, or guidance for relatives and carers.

Visitors will be able to speak with Pat Coombs, Clinical Coordinator and Equipment Team Manager, who has extensive experience supporting people with life-limiting illnesses and those close to them.

Information resources will also be available for anyone who wishes to take materials away to share with family members.

The initiative forms part of the Paul Sartori Foundation’s wider commitment to delivering compassionate, community-based end-of-life care.

The charity’s clinical team works closely with healthcare partners to provide holistic support, including home-based care, specialist equipment provision and guidance tailored to the needs of patients and carers.

The Paul Sartori Foundation has thanked the team at Withybush Hospital for helping to facilitate the new advice service, which aims to ensure more people can access care and information in a welcoming and accessible setting.

A spokesperson said the new weekly presence reflects the Foundation’s ongoing mission to enhance quality of life, dignity and support for people living with life-limiting conditions across Pembrokeshire.

Anyone unable to visit the Paul Sartori team at Withybush Hospital can contact the Foundation directly on 01437 763223. A member of the team can help arrange an assessment and source the support required.

Paul Sartori Hospice at Home Service supports people with a wide range of life-limiting conditions and is keen to dispel the belief that it is solely a cancer charity. Around 32% of those supported have a non-cancer diagnosis.

The charity operates an open referral system, with referrals accepted from patients, family members and friends, as well as healthcare professionals.

The service was established in memory of Father Paul Sartori, a much-loved local priest who recognised the need for hospice care in Pembrokeshire before his death from cancer at the age of 39.

The Foundation was registered as a charity in 1982 and will celebrate its 45th anniversary during 2027/28.

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Pat Coombs, Clinical Coordinator and Equipment Team Manager, at the Hywel Dda University Health Board Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service hub at Withybush Hospital, where information and advice is available for patients and their families.

Pupils at Ysgol Glannau Gwaun have been celebrating after their school became one of only nine in Wales to achieve Gold Active Travel status

The Fishguard school recently travelled to the Senedd in Cardiff to receive its prestigious Walk, Wheel, Cycle Gold Active Travel Award, recognising the work pupils and staff have done to promote walking, cycling and scooting.

It was the second time pupils from Ysgol Glannau Gwaun had travelled to the capital to present their active travel projects to a range of audiences.

The school now has a fleet of 60 scooters and 40 bicycles, allowing children from Nursery through to Year 6 to build their confidence and skills.

Through a range of grants and funding opportunities, weekly cycling and scooter sessions are now offered to all pupils, regardless of age or ability.

In 2023, only 11 of 41 pupils were able to complete their Level 1 and 2 cycle training, as many did not have access to a bicycle.

Since then, the school has worked hard to change that. Thanks to investment in school bikes, every pupil can now take part in cycle training.

Older pupils have also taken on leadership roles, supporting younger children with balance bike and scooter sessions.

Progression Step 3 pupils have designed a 1.5km community scooter trail, beginning at Fishguard Library and finishing in Goodwick. The route has been created not only for pupils, but for the wider community.

To further encourage active travel, the school also loans scooters to families, helping to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part.

Staff help run a walking bus to after-school music activities at the secondary school, while the School Senedd regularly develops new ideas to promote active travel.

One recent initiative was a six-hour scootathon, which raised £1,000 for the RNLI.

To mark the Gold award, the school held a special celebration day for all pupils. Fusion Extreme delivered BMX workshops, while British BMX champion Matti Hemmings impressed pupils with a spectacular display of skills.

Pupils also presented their journey to achieving Gold status to parents, governors and community partners, including Transition Bro Gwaun, which helped fund the school’s bicycle fleet.

Headteacher Mrs Mari Jones said: “I am incredibly proud of our pupils, whose enthusiasm, leadership and commitment have driven many of the initiatives that contributed to this award.”

Deputy Headteacher Mrs Sharon Osborne added: “We are extremely grateful to the Pembrokeshire Road Safety Team, Alice from the Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust, Transition Bro Gwaun and the Catrin Vaughan Foundation for their support.

“Their funding and resources have enabled our pupils to develop exceptional cycling and scooting skills, alongside valuable leadership and communication skills.

“This has culminated in pupils confidently presenting their achievements to a wide range of audiences.”

Pupils say their active travel journey does not end with the Gold award, with more ideas already being planned.

As they proudly put it, nothing stands still at Ysgol Glannau Gwaun.

As the health service marks its 78th birthday, people in Pembrokeshire are being urged to support local NHS charities helping patients, staff and communities across west Wales

AS THE NHS marks its 78th birthday on Sunday, July 5, NHS charities are urging people to use the anniversary as a moment to support their local NHS charity.

For Pembrokeshire, that means Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity supporting NHS services across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.

The NHS has a particular resonance in Wales. It was founded in 1948 by Aneurin Bevan, the Labour Minister for Health and MP for Ebbw Vale, on the principle that healthcare should be free at the point of delivery and available to all, regardless of income.

That founding ideal remains one of the defining achievements of post-war Britain. It brought security to families who had previously feared the cost of illness, injury or childbirth. In Pembrokeshire, as across Wales, generations have relied on that promise.

But as the NHS turns 78, it does so under intense pressure.

Hywel Dda University Health Board serves a population of around 385,000 people across west Wales, covering hospitals, community services, mental health care and primary care across a large rural area. Demand continues to rise, while the challenges facing the health service grow more complex.

Wales has an ageing population, higher levels of long-term illness and areas of significant deprivation. Those pressures place greater demand on health and care services. At the same time, workforce shortages, waiting lists and financial strain continue to dominate debate about the future of the NHS in Wales.

The Welsh Government recently announced an extra £145m for NHS Wales this financial year, including funding aimed at reducing waiting times, developing surgical and diagnostic hubs, and tackling maintenance across the NHS estate.

But the wider financial picture remains difficult. Audit Wales has reported that all seven health boards in Wales again failed to meet their break-even duty in 2024/25, underlining the scale of the challenge.

That is why NHS charities say the birthday should not only be a celebration, but also a chance to give something back.

NHS Charities Together says more than 220 NHS charities across the UK collectively invest around £1.5m in the NHS every day. That funding helps support patients, staff and communities, paying for projects and equipment which go beyond core NHS provision.

Hywel Dda Health Charities allows donors to support a general fund for the areas of greatest need, or to direct donations to a particular hospital, ward, department or service. Funds can help provide medical equipment, staff training, research, patient comforts and community-based support.

Other local organisations also play an important role in supporting health and wellbeing in Pembrokeshire, including the VC Gallery in Haverfordwest, Honeyborough HOPE Therapy Centre and Pembrokeshire Samaritans. Their work in areas such as mental health, veterans’ support, therapy and community care helps ease pressure elsewhere in the system.

The NHS remains one of Wales’ most important institutions. It was created by a Welshman, built on a principle that still matters, and continues to serve people from birth to the end of life.

On its 78th birthday, the message from NHS charities is simple: celebrate it, value it, and support it where you can.