Officers ask residents to check CCTV and dashcam footage

POLICE are appealing for information following the theft of a vehicle in Ystradowen on Thursday evening (Dec 18).

A silver Ford Fiesta, registration CV05 CVJ, was reported stolen from a property on Brynawel Terrace, Penygraig Road, at around 5.30pm.

The vehicle was later discovered on New Road, Cwmllynfell, where it had been involved in a collision with a lamppost.

Dyfed-Powys Police are asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle, or who lives or travelled along the route between Brynawel Terrace and New Road, Cwmllynfell, to check their CCTV or dashcam footage in case the incident was captured.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, by calling 101, or by sending a direct message via social media.

Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Quote reference: 25*1032732.

Police seek witnesses and dashcam footage after rider injured

Dyfed-Powys Police are appealing for information following a near-miss collision involving a bin lorry and an electric bike rider in Tregaron, Ceredigion.

The incident is reported to have taken place between 12:00pm and 1:00pm on Saturday, December 13, near a property known as Crynfryn.

Police said the electric bike rider suffered injuries as a result of the incident.

Officers are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the collision, or who may have dashcam footage from the area at the time.

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Michael Jones at Dyfed-Powys Police via the online reporting form at https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.

Those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired can text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908.

Quote reference: DP-20251213-152.

Public feedback to inform Hywel Dda’s long-term strategy for healthcare delivery

NEARLY 2,000 people across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire have shared their views on what matters most for living a healthy life, as part of a major public engagement exercise by Hywel Dda University Health Board.

Over a nine-week period, residents were invited to respond to eleven key questions exploring how people stay well, how they access healthcare, and what improvements they would like to see in services, buildings and digital provision. The questions were shaped around feedback gathered from community members earlier in the summer.

The engagement focused on four main themes: a social model for health and wellbeing, digital healthcare support, balancing hospital care with community-based services, and priorities for clinical services and hospital redevelopment.

The feedback will be shared in January and used to inform a refreshed long-term strategy for the Health Board, setting out how safe, sustainable and accessible services will be delivered over the next fifteen years. While the strategy will be updated to reflect changes in clinical practice, technology and how people use health services, the Health Board says its overall ambitions remain unchanged from those set out in the original Healthier Mid and West Wales strategy in 2018.

Lee Davies, Executive Director of Strategy and Planning at Hywel Dda, said the process was about refinement rather than a change in direction.

He said: “Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to share their views. The direction of travel remains as per our 2018 strategy, so we want to reassure people that this is not a radical change of direction but rather a refinement in how we deliver the strategy. Your feedback is helping us reshape our strategy so that it continues to reflect the priorities of the people we serve, and the changes in clinical practice.”

During the engagement, many respondents highlighted the importance of strong communities, with families, friends and local support networks seen as key to helping people stay well and connected. Timely access to GP services was also raised as a priority, alongside concerns about travel to appointments, particularly in rural areas where public transport options can be limited.

Digital healthcare was another recurring theme, with people calling for online services to be simple, inclusive and accessible, while recognising that not everyone has access to technology or the same digital skills.

At its public Board meeting in November, Hywel Dda University Health Board considered progress on refreshing the strategy and received updates on the development of a new Primary and Community Care Strategic Plan. That plan, which has been shaped through further public engagement including in-person and online events and an online questionnaire, is due to be presented to the Board in January 2026.

The Primary and Community Care plan will set the overall direction for services delivered outside hospital settings and support locally-led plans for how care is provided in individual communities.

The Board also discussed a request from the Welsh Government for an addendum to the Health Board’s 2022 Programme Business Case. This will explore additional options for improving healthcare estates, including whether new facilities could help address existing infrastructure problems. It will also consider how local plans align with the national strategy, A Healthier Wales, which aims to shift more care into community settings and closer to people’s homes.

A draft version of the refreshed strategy is expected to be presented to the Board in January 2026 for approval. Once agreed, it will be published in accessible formats, with the Health Board saying communities will continue to be involved as plans move forward.

Further information about the engagement process and updates on the strategy are available through the Health Board’s public consultation platform.