News
GP Services to remain in Neyland
A NEW plan for GP services for patients in and around Neyland has been agreed by Hywel Dda University Health Board and will be implemented this autumn.
Patients in the Neyland area will be aware that the application by Argyle Medical Group to close St. Clement’s Surgery this autumn was approved by the Health Board in April.
Work has been underway in recent months with local stakeholders to explore an alternative proposal to provide these vital services to patients affected by the planned closure.
Transport difficulties and additional pressure on appointments at Argyle Surgery are amongst the concerns of patients and local community representatives. Over recent months the Partners at Neyland and Johnston Surgery have been in negotiation with the Health Board regarding the Partners’ proposal to take on the care of those Argyle Surgery patients living in and around Neyland.
An agreement has been reached which retains GP services in Neyland for all patients, and protects the longer-term provision of these important services for the Neyland area.
From November 1, all patients registered with Argyle Surgery who live in the Neyland area will be able to have their registration automatically transferred from Argyle Medical Group to Neyland and Johnston Surgery, and have their care delivered locally by the team led by Dr Phillips and Dr Tobin.
To manage the increase in patient numbers, Neyland and Johnston Surgery will be moving their base in Neyland from the Health Centre at Charles Street to St. Clement’s Surgery. The Practice will continue to operate Johnston Surgery as normal.
The Health Board will continue to work with the Practice to plan for a longer-term solution for their premises to meet the needs of the growing Practice. In addition to moving into St. Clement’s Surgery, Neyland and Johnston Surgery will also be recruiting additional staff to their team to manage the increase in numbers.
Argyle Medical Group will continue to operate services from St. Clement’s Surgery until the handover of the building to the Partners of Neyland & Johnston Surgery. Patients should continue to access services there until the transition on November 1.
Those patients registered with Argyle Medical Group who would prefer to remain registered with the Argyle Medical group will be able to do so via an opt-out system to protect patient choice. Patients who choose to opt-out and remain with Argyle Medical Group will need to travel to Argyle Surgery in Pembroke Dock or St. Oswald’s Surgery in Pembroke.
The Health Board will be writing shortly to all affected patients to outline the changes and provide patients with the means to opt-out and remain registered with Argyle Medical Group if they so choose.
Patients who are happy to transfer to Neyland and Johnston Surgery and receive their care at St. Clement’s Surgery in Neyland or in Johnston, need do nothing and will automatically transfer from November 1.
Patients do not need to do anything until they receive letters advising them of the changes and how they can opt to remain with Argyle Medical Group if that is their preference.
Jill Paterson, Director of Primary Care for Hywel Dda University Health Board said: “The Health Board has listened to the concerns of patients, Neyland Town Council, the Community Health Council and other stakeholders and is pleased to announce this plan for General Medical Services in Neyland and the surrounding area. We have welcomed the co-operation and engagement of all stakeholders in working towards this solution.”
Cllr Paul Miller welcomed the announcement: “I very much welcome the news from Hywel Dda that patients in Neyland will continue to be able to see a Doctor, in the town of Neyland.
“There’s been a lot of hard work gone on behind the scenes to make this possible and I’m grateful to the Health Board and to Neyland and Johnston Surgery for their efforts.
“That said, we need to continue the work together to ensure the transition is smooth, to ensure that access to appointments for patients in Neyland gets better and not worse under the new arrangements and ultimately to design a long-term, sustainable model for the delivery of GP Services for the people of Neyland.
“I look forward to continuing work with the Health Board to achieve this.”
Stephen Crabb MP told The Herald: ““This is a very positive move and the Health Board deserve credit for working out a common sense solution for St Clements surgery. The proposed closure was the number one issue of concern to residents at my public meeting in Neyland recently, and I am pleased that the message that I and the others have delivered to the Health Board has got through. However, this does not resolve the underlying problem of GP recruitment and this is a matter that the Welsh Government in Cardiff needs to get a grip on urgently.”
Business
Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost
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.
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.
News
Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children
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.
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.
News
Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home
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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