News

Former NHS manager moving to England due to health care concerns

Published

7 years ago

October 22, 2018

Siobhan McClelland: Moving to England

A FORMER senior NHS manager intends to move to England following failures in her husband’s treatment for prostate cancer.

Professor Siobhan McClelland, who lives in Manorbier and is a former Vice Chair of Aneurin Bevan Health Board, said: ‘There is neither capacity nor capability in Welsh Government to be making really good health policy.”

When it comes to health policy, Professor McClelland knows the subject well. She formerly held senior positions as a health economist and health manager. Her experiences of working within the Welsh NHS is substantial.

Apart from her experience on the Aneurin Bevan health board, she chaired the Welsh NHS’s emergency ambulance services committee.

Hywel Dda UHB acknowledges ‘shortcomings’ in Professor McClelland’s husband’s treatment.

Speaking to BBC Wales’ Wales Live programme broadcast on Wednesday (Oct 17) Prof McClelland outlined the successive difficulties in getting GP appointments, referrals for diagnosis, and the failure to spot the spread of her husband’s cancer.

She blamed those failings for making an already difficult situation worse.

Siobhan McClelland continued by observing there was ‘a massive disconnect’ between the experience of being a member of a Health Board or – as in her own experience – being Chair of the Emergency Ambulance Committee and the state of services being delivered to the public.

Prof McClelland told the BBC that she and her husband had lost confidence in the healthcare available and that was one of the reasons they placed their house on the market and were looking to move away from the area.

“We’ve got a fundamental problem here with health boards – not in terms of geographical boundary – but in the autonomous way in which they act.”

Professor McClelland’s most telling criticisms were of the way in which Health Boards lacked leadership from the Welsh Government and local accountability.

She told BBC Wales: “We have a void in Welsh Government where robust, rigorous, innovative health policy should be made.”

Her scorn for the Welsh Government’s ‘nothing to do with me, guv’ approach led straight to the door of current Health Secretary Vaughan Gething and his predecessor Mark Drakeford. Both Mr Gething and Prof Drakeford are candidates to lead the Labour Party in Wales and to succeed Carwyn Jones as First Minister.

Claiming that the current organisational setup was convenient for the Welsh Government as it ‘abdicated responsibility for health board services’, Siobhan McClelland said that both Mark Drakeford and Vaughan Gething ‘struggled to implement policy’.

In the Senedd, however, Vaughan Gething rejected Prof McClelland’s criticism out of hand.

Faced with Rhun ap Iorwerth’s assertion that the words of someone as respected as Professor McClelland were ‘about as damning an indictment as you could hear of your running of the Welsh health service’, Vaughan Gething said he did not accept the system-wide criticism that she makes of Welsh health services.

Pressed by Mr ap Iorwerth, Mr Gething sought refuge behind a Parliamentary Review and an OECD report which he claimed justified his response.

Plaid’s health spokesperson mordantly observed that ‘Professor McClelland has looked at the NHS in Wales and how it’s run probably more forensically than anybody else’ and repeated her criticism of a lack of central direction and asked whether the recently announced increase to the health and social care budget would simply be lost in Boards’ poor financial management.

Instead of answering his opposite number, Labour’s Health Minister suggested that Mr ap Iorwerth seemed to be suggesting a cut in health budgets and said: “I am content with the fact that we understand there are real challenges, and we’re not complacent about actually managing and meeting those.”

Having rubbished Professor McClelland’s substantive complaints about the Welsh Government’s mismanagement of the health service and repeating the line that they operated accountably, the Cabinet Secretary lauded the model for the delivery of social care that had been agreed with third sector bodies, local government and health boards.

Bearing in mind the content of most recent local government discussions on that vexed subject, the casual observer might wonder to which local authorities the Welsh Government had been speaking.

Equally, in highlighting the extent of central control and monitoring and by the way he addressed some of Rhun ap Iorwerth’s points, Vaughan Gething appears to have laid the way for future difficulties in claiming the planned cuts to health services by Hywel Dda UHB are nothing to do with him or the Government he wants to lead.

By claiming to have his hands on the levers of healthcare’s delivery, Mr Gething can hardly now claim they are clean when it comes to decisions about the future of West Wales’ health services.

Farming

FUW urges government action as plunging dairy prices threaten family farms

Published

2 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FARMER’s UNION OF WALES has sounded the alarm over a sharp and sustained collapse in dairy prices, warning that the situation is placing intolerable pressure on family farms already grappling with regulatory change, rising costs and wider economic uncertainty.

The Union convened an emergency meeting of its Animal Health and Dairy Committee last week to assess the scale of the crisis. Representatives from across Wales reported widespread anxiety, with many members seeing milk prices fall dramatically through the autumn. Processors are now signalling further cuts in early 2026, while commodity markets offer little sign of stability heading into spring.

Farmers, fearful of jeopardising commercial relationships, have approached the FUW confidentially to express grave concern about projected milk payments for the coming months. Many say the offers being made will fall far below the cost of production.

Average milk prices are forecast at just 30–35 pence per litre, against estimated production costs of 39–44 pence per litre (Kite Consulting). On current trajectories, the FUW warns a typical Welsh dairy farm could lose thousands of pounds per month for as long as the downturn persists.

Following its committee meeting, the Union raised the matter directly with Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies MS during talks in Cardiff on Wednesday, December 3. Officials stressed the immediate threat facing family-run dairy farms and called for urgent consideration of government support to prevent long-term damage to the sector.

Gerwyn Williams, Chair of the FUW Animal Health and Dairy Committee, said the pace of the price crash was “unprecedented”.

“Farmers are facing an impossible situation where input costs remain high while the value of their product plummets. The viability of many family farms is now at serious risk. We need immediate assurances that this crisis is being treated with the urgency it deserves.

“Some can weather a short storm, but rumours that this could continue into summer 2026 will see businesses shut. These modest family farms have already invested heavily to meet regulatory requirements. Cuts on this scale will severely impact their ability to service repayments.”

FUW Deputy President Dai Miles warned that the consequences extend far beyond farm gates.

“Dairy farming underpins thousands of jobs in Wales and is central to the economic, social and environmental fabric of rural communities. When prices fall this sharply, it isn’t just farmers who suffer — local businesses, services and entire communities feel the impact.

“We have made it clear to the Deputy First Minister that government must work with the industry to provide immediate stability and a long-term resilience plan.”

The FUW says it will continue to work with the Welsh Government, processors and supply-chain partners to seek solutions and secure fair, sustainable prices for producers.

Community

Haverfordwest’s first memory tree brings community together this Christmas

Published

22 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Spud Box is delighted to launch a brand-new festive initiative for the people of Pembrokeshire – Haverfordwest’s first Memory Tree, now open to the public at our premises.

The idea, inspired by Drew from The Big Pembs Panto, invites members of the community to write and hang personal messages on the tree. These can be tributes to loved ones, cherished memories, or simple Christmas wishes.

The project has been created to give people a meaningful way to connect during the festive season. All materials – including paper, plastic pockets and ribbon – are provided free of charge. Visitors are also welcome to enjoy complimentary hot drinks, kindly supplied by Connect: Pembrokeshire, along with mince pies donated by Brakes.

Anyone who prefers to create their message at home can bring it in, and the team will be happy to help attach it to the tree.

Donations are being encouraged in support of Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity, making the Memory Tree both a reflective and charitable community event.

The tree itself looks spectacular thanks to Sion from DSR Batteries, who supplied the lighting. The project has also received generous support from Marty at Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity and Pure West Radio. Spud Box welcomes other community groups or organisations who wish to get involved.

Education

Pembrokeshire school named second in Sunday Times guide

Published

2 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Luke Sinclair

A Pembrokeshire secondary school has been recognised among the very best in Wales, securing a leading position in a major national education guide.

Ysgol Bro Preseli in Crymych has been ranked the second-best state secondary school in Wales in the 2026 Sunday Times Parent Power Guide, a long-established benchmark for academic performance across the UK. Only Cowbridge School placed higher.

The annual guide, regarded as one of the country’s most authoritative assessments of school standards, compiles data from more than 2,000 state and independent schools. It also offers a range of practical advice for families, including guidance on scholarships, the 11-plus, and choosing the right school.

Helen Davies, editor of the Parent Power Guide, acknowledged the pressures facing the education sector but praised the commitment shown by schools nationwide. She said: “The educational landscape is testing – budget challenges, rising student mental health issues, special educational needs and an increasingly uncertain future.

“But there is also so much to celebrate from the dedication of teachers who are finding ever more innovative and impactful ways to enrich their students and give them the very best start in life.

“As well as celebrating the academic excellence of the top schools, it is uplifting to see how they are shaping their students to be ready for the 21st century, and instilling a lifelong love of learning.”

In addition to its strong showing within Wales, Ysgol Bro Preseli secured 263rd place in the UK-wide rankings. Elsewhere in the state secondary table, Ysgol Gyfun Penweddig was placed third in Wales, with Ysgol Eirias in Colwyn Bay following closely behind.

Now in its 33rd year, the Parent Power Guide was published online on Friday, 5 December, with the print edition set to appear on Sunday, 7 December. Final positions are determined by year-on-year performance, supported by editorial judgement.

The full rankings and analysis are available via The Sunday Times digital edition, and the guide remains a trusted resource for families seeking a clear picture of school performance across the UK.