Health
Support remains available this Christmas and New Year
PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL is reaching out to residents with a message to stay safe this Christmas and into the New Year and remember that there is support available if needed.
Christmas can be tough for some people at the best of times but the difficulties of 2020 could mean this Christmas could be even more challenging.
Following the introduction of Tier 4 restrictions, the Community Hub remains open and available for those who may need support and assistance.
A partnership between Pembrokeshire County Council, Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services, Hywel Dda University Health Board, and Delta Well-being, the Community Hub can help with a variety of support services.
The Hub can help with getting essential shopping, collecting prescriptions, accessing support or just offer a friendly voice on the end of the phone.
And the Community Hub wants people to know that it is ok to ask for help and that there is no query too big or small.
The Community Hub will be open 9am-5pm until Wednesday December 23rd and 9am-4pm on Christmas Eve.
It will re-open 9am-5pm on Tuesday 29th, Wednesday 30th and Thursday 31st December.
The Hub will resume normal 9-5 operating hours on Monday 4th January.
The Community Hub can be contacted on 01437 776301 or [email protected]
You can also visit the website at: https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-community-information/community-hub
Jonathan Griffiths, the Council’s Director of Social Care and Housing said: “I’m sure we can all agree that the past nine months has been an incredibly difficult time for everyone.
“While the arrival of a vaccine is great news, we must remember that we are still many months away from all of us being vaccinated.
“Covid-19 is unfortunately spreading across our communities and Pembrokeshire currently has the highest number of cases now than at any point in the first wave.
“Therefore, it is important for me to remind you and your families to continue to closely follow the advice provided by the Welsh Government over the Christmas period.
“The Community Hub has helped local people throughout the last nine months and continues to do so.
“Please get in contact if you need any help – however big or small.”
Tenants are also being reminded that support will continue to available throughout the festive period.
If you become homeless or are threatened with homelessness over the Christmas period you can contact the service in the following way:
• Monday – Friday between 9am & 5pm – Phone the homelessness duty officer on 01437 764551 or email [email protected]
• Friday 5pm – Monday 9am – Phone the Duty Social Worker from the Out of Hours Team on 03003 332222.
If you have an emergency repair or maintenance issue over the Christmas period, please call Duty Officers on 01437 775522.
The Choice Homes advert will run from 23rd December until 4th January 2021.
If you are struggling to cope this Christmas, feeling under pressure or overwhelmed or spending Christmas alone this year, please remember the Samaritans will be available to listen and support 24/7. You can call 116123 for free or email [email protected]
• Details of the restrictions under each Tier level can be found at https://gov.wales/covid-19-alert-levels
• The First Minister’s statement is at https://gov.wales/first-minister-statement-19-december
• Public Health Wales FAQs: https://covid19-phwstatement.nhs.wales/
Health
More than 400,000 visit pharmacies for common health issues
THE WELSH public is being encouraged to visit local pharmacies for free advice and treatment for a wide range of illnesses. New figures reveal that over 400,000 people used the Common Ailments Service in the past year alone.
Pharmacies offer convenient access to healthcare professionals, often without the need for an appointment, freeing up GP slots for those with more complex or urgent medical needs.
Common ailments service
Available in 99% of pharmacies across Wales, the service provides free, confidential advice and treatments for 28 common illnesses, such as sore throats and urinary tract infections. Since its launch in 2013, it has supported nearly 1.25 million people.
Around 220 pharmacies now offer the Pharmacist Independent Prescribing Service, allowing pharmacists to treat conditions such as ear, skin, and respiratory infections, sinusitis, and migraines.
A survey found that 95% of patients who used the service would have otherwise sought help from a GP or other healthcare provider.
Prescribing services expanding
Each year, up to 100 community pharmacists in Wales undertake prescribing training. From 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will be registered prescribers, enhancing the range of services available at local pharmacies.
Primary care reforms
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles, highlighted ongoing reforms to deliver more care closer to home during a statement to the Senedd.
Key statistics include:
- GPs handle around 100,000 calls and 68,000 appointments daily.
- Optometrists conduct over 2,000 consultations each month.
- More than 420,000 new dental patients have been treated since April 2022.
- District nurses see approximately 31,000 patients each month, equating to 1% of Wales’ population.
Comments from key figures
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said:
“We know there is very high demand for GP services in Wales, with around 1.6 million people contacting their practice each month.
“For most common health concerns, your local pharmacy is the best option, providing free and easy access to treatment.
“We are working with the NHS to provide more care in the community, closer to people’s homes, and to make it easier for people to choose the right service for their health needs.”
Gwawr Davies-Jones, a pharmacist at High Street Pharmacy in Barry, added:
“Since the new pharmacy contract was implemented in 2022, our role has changed considerably. Instead of being in the dispensary, we are now in the consultation room for most of the day, offering clinical services.
“On average, we carry out more than 20 consultations daily, from providing contraception to emergency medicine supplies.
“The demand for advice on common conditions is great, giving pharmacists an opportunity to share advice and treatment, including prescribing antibiotics and other prescription-only medicines without the need to see a GP. This helps free up much-needed appointments for more complex conditions.
“We feel we offer an invaluable service to our community. The services we provide alleviate pressures on the NHS, giving pharmacists great satisfaction knowing they are making a difference.”
Supporting NHS pressures
Pharmacies in Wales offer treatment for 28 common illnesses under the Common Ailments Service. Many also provide emergency contraception, annual flu vaccinations, and regular contraception services.
The Welsh Government has significantly supported this service expansion, increasing its investment by 24% since 2016-17, with an additional £9.9 million allocated this year.
Health
Lymphoedema patients to benefit from online mental health support
NHS Wales’ digital wellbeing service has teamed up with a pioneering clinic to help patients manage the mental health impacts of Lymphoedema and Lipalgia Syndrome.
The Lymphoedema Wales Clinical Network (LWCN) established a psychological support service – the only one of its kind in the UK – after patients spoke of the emotional challenges of living with these conditions.
Patients revealed how their physical symptoms were often accompanied by depression, anxiety and worries about appearance.
Support offered by the service’s two psychologists is now being complemented by direct referrals to SilverCloud® Wales, a suite of online, self-help courses based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Dr Jayne Williams, National Lymphoedema Consultant Psychologist for LWCN said: “This is an exciting time for us.
“We’re looking at different ways for people to access psychological therapies – SilverCloud being one of them. The aim is to provide timely, preventative support before people get to crisis point.
“As SilverCloud is online, it has the capacity to reach many more people than we could see face-to-face, and its flexibility means that it fits around busy work and family lives.
“Being able to offer something that patients can do in their own way, at their own pace is brilliant.”
NHS Wales online CBT project manager Fionnuala Clayton said the new referral pathway was inspired in part by feedback from a ‘Living Well with Lymphoedema’ event hosted by LWCN, where patients were asked what they would like from its emerging psychology service.
“Patients wanted to feel as though they were not alone and that they still had a healthy and happy life despite their condition,” said Fionnuala. “They wanted easy access to support for building resilience alongside help to help themselves.
“Coming away from the event, we knew a referral pathway would support many patients across Wales.”
Lipalgia Syndrome – also known as Lipoedema – is an abnormal build-up of adipose fatty tissue, usually in the lower half of the body, which more commonly affects women.
Lymphoedema is another incurable, long-term condition which develops due to a damaged or poorly-functioning lymphatic system. Damage can occur as a result of many factors including obesity, surgery, cancer treatment, infection or injury.
People who are sedentary are particularly vulnerable as the lymphatic system relies on movement to remain healthy and move the lymph fluid around the body. Symptoms include swollen and painful heavy limbs and a higher risk of skin infections and wounds.
Said Dr Williams: “These are conditions that people have to learn to live alongside forever, which can be incredibly difficult.
“They have to cope with swelling and pain, they may have to wear compression bandages or garments, carry out daily skin care routines and do lots of movement.
“We see lots of people with very low mood. There’s also a lot of anxiety around body image and intimacy.
“Feeling people are judging you, and perhaps not being able to find clothes or shoes that fit you, means your whole identity and your social confidence can be affected. You can feel more isolated and withdrawn.”
Around 25,000 people across Wales use LWCN services.
Local health board lymphoedema services can refer people to the psychology service within the National Lymphoedema Team, which is hosted by Swansea Bay University Health Board.
Dr Williams said several patients had been referred to SilverCloud’s Space for Positive Body Image programme after attending a body image workshop.
Other courses on offer include support for anxiety, depression and stress.
Anyone in Wales aged 16 or over can self-refer to SilverCloud, without seeing a GP and from the comfort of their own home.
Fionnuala Clayton added: “We’re delighted to onboard the Lymphoedema Wales Clinical Network. This has been a collaborative effort between services, working together to identify how best support patients living with Lipalgia Syndrome and Lymphoedema.”
For further information and support on Lymphoedema and Lipalgia Syndrome, visit https://lwcn.nhs.wales/
To self-refer to SilverCloud Wales, visit https://nhswales.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/
Health
Tufnell talks tough on health care following ‘in-depth survey’
TOP Hywel Dda health board officials are turning a blind eye to its escalating health care failings despite pocketing six-figure salaries.
So says Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell who is calling for an urgent meeting with Hywel Dda’s chief executive, Phil Kloer.
“The Hywel Dda Health Board needs to recognise that there’s a problem with health care outcomes and care delivery, but what is it going to take for them to recognise that?” Henry Tufnell commented this week.
His comments followed an in-depth survey of 1,000 people living in Pembrokeshire which confirmed that a staggering 62% have to wait more than a week for a GP appointment. 43% have cited a lack of available appointments as their biggest challenge, while no fewer than 87% claim healthcare services have worsened in recent years.
“But it’s the real stories that show the scale of the crisis,” continued Henry Tufnell.
“I know of a cancer diagnosis that has been delayed by over a year, while ambulance waiting times can be more than 13 hours, even for urgent cases. Critical care needs are going unmet and this is forcing patients to seek private treatment.”
Tufnell has now submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Hywel Dda University Health Board demanding greater transparency on waiting times, service provision and a plan strategy to fix the crisis.
“Despite all the latest evidence, in addition to everything we gathered during the election campaign, there’s still no acceptance by the Board that there’s a problem,” he said.
“But it’s their responsibility to deliver health care within this county, and they’re failing. The management is failing us here in Pembrokeshire and there’s a complete lack of transparency and accountability. All these people sitting in management roles are being paid huge amounts of money, some bringing in six figure salaries. But they’re failing.”
Mr Tufnell has now requested an urgent meeting with Hywel Dda chief executive Phil Kloer which is expected to take place on February 14.
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