Health
Leaflet to calm fears over A&E downgrade
Health board will explain how to get urgent care for children, as local NHS continues to be under extreme pressure
RESIDENTS in Pembrokeshire are being asked to look out for a leaflet about children’s hospital services, which will be delivered to households from next week (Week commencing 25 October 2021).
The leaflet will explain why temporary changes to re-locate the children’s daytime unit (PACU/Puffin Ward) and its specialist staff from Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest, to Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen, have been extended into 2022. It will also provide information on how to access the right care for a child when they are unwell.
Medical Director and Deputy Chief Executive of Hywel Dda University Health Board Dr Philip Kloer said: “We hope the leaflet will be a useful, quick guide for parents and carers to keep handy in the home. We know that making decisions when a child is sick or injured can be stressful and we hope this guide will help.
“It includes a QR code which will take you to our dedicated web resource on children’s services, where there are also alternative versions of the leaflet and contact details for people who wish to share their experience of care.”
The temporary move of the service was made in spring 2020 due to the need for space within the hospital to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been extended due to the continuation of the pandemic and also to ensure that the increasing number of children with respiratory illnesses access specialist care when needed.
It means that Withybush Hospital currently treats only children with minor injuries such as minor wounds, minor burns or scalds, insect bites, potential broken bones if not badly misshaped, minor head or face injuries, or foreign bodies in the nose or ear; and booked outpatient appointments.
Children with serious illnesses or injuries are treated at Glangwili Hospital where there is a co-located Emergency Department and children’s hospital services, including an overnight children’s ward, children’s high dependency unit and children’s daytime (ambulatory) care.
Multi-professional clinicians, including local senior doctors in children’s care (paediatrics), emergency medicine, and anaesthetics, have supported the recommendation and the need for clearer messaging to the public in order to reduce the risk of delays in the treatment of children and young people.
Clinical Director for Women & Children’s services, Dr Prem Kumar Pitchaikani said: “We need to avoid the delay that may be caused when a child is brought to Withybush Emergency Department only to need a transfer to Glangwili Hospital. The continuation of this temporary service change, will ensure that very ill children, including the increasing number of children likely to have respiratory viruses this winter, will get access to their definitive treatment more quickly. They can also be monitored and treated quickly by specialists in the event that they deteriorate.”
Clinical Director for Emergency Medicine, and senior consultant at Withybush Hospital Emergency and Urgent Care Centre Dr Nicola Drake said: “It is critically important that sick children have the support of specialist paediatricians at the earliest opportunity. They also need early access to specialised equipment that is provided and monitored by paediatricians.”
The intention is to continue with the temporary position and commence a review in March 2022, with a report back to the Health Board in autumn 2022. The review will be scrutinised by the Health Board and Hywel Dda Community Heath Council and will include measuring outcomes for children and young people, as well as patient experiences and the views of communities.
More information on how and when the access children’s healthcare services locally is available on our website if you search ‘children’s services’.
If you have an experience of children’s services you wish to share with us, please search the website for ‘patient survey’ or ‘complaints’; email: [email protected]; or telephone: 0300 0200 159.
We will engage with our communities about the future of children’s services in 2022, but if you want to share your views at this point please; email: [email protected]; write to: FREEPOST HYWEL DDA HEALTH BOARD (you will not need a stamp); call: 01554 899 056 (this telephone number is not staffed, but messages will be recorded).
*Please note these changes affect children’s services at Withybush Hospital only and adult services at the hospital remain the same. Paediatric services at Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth, remain the same. There is no change to Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli.
- Where to get help if my child is unwell?
Call 999 if your child has serious injuries or a life-threatening illness, including severe difficulty or irregular breathing, blueness around the lips, is pale, mottled and abnormally cold, has a fit or seizure, is extremely distressed, is very lethargic or unresponsive, develops a rash that does not disappear with pressure, or has testicular pain.
Go to a Minor Injury Unit (24/7 at Withybush Hospital; weekdays, daytime only and for children over 12-months at Tenby Hospital and Cardigan Integrated Care Centre) if your child has minor wounds, minor burns or scalds, insect bites, potential broken bones if not badly misshaped, minor head or face injuries, or foreign bodies in the nose or ear.
Contact your GP today if your child has an illness that won’t go away, indicated for example by a high temperature, shivering, muscle pain, cough, wheezing, increased effort to breath, persistent vomiting/diarrhoea/severe tummy pain, blood in their poo or wee, or dehydration. Call NHS 111 Wales (24/7) for urgent advice if you are unsure what to do. Call 111 for urgent help when your usual GP surgery, or other primary care service, is closed.
*You may be asked to take your child to Glangwili Hospital Emergency Department if input from specialist children’s doctors is required.
Treat at home or contact your pharmacist if your child has a minor illness or ailment such as a sore throat, cough, skin irritation, or if a young person needs emergency contraception. You can get help online by searching ‘NHS 111 Wales symptom checker’. Some pharmacies offer treatment without appointment for low level injuries.
If you are deaf or speech-impaired you can access 999 services using the Relay UK app and dialling 999, or NHS 111 by dialling 18001 111.
Health
Phone calls to reduce GP visits for 42% of patients this winter
NEW research from the Royal Voluntary Service has shown that a simple phone call could significantly impact well-being, reducing GP visits by 42% among patients who receive regular telephone support.
The charity urges those feeling isolated this winter, particularly the elderly, to use telephone support services as a way to improve health and free up GP appointments, potentially reducing waiting times. It is estimated that if people experiencing loneliness in later life reduced their GP visits by just one appointment a year, this could free up 588,000 appointments annually.
As winter approaches, the Royal Voluntary Service reports that isolation can sharply increase, especially for adults over 75, with nearly half (47%) of people in this age group feeling lonelier in the colder months. Among those who live alone, one in six say they feel forgotten during winter, and 20% report having no one to turn to for emotional support.
In addition to loneliness, older generations face several winter worries, including increased heating costs, cited by 55% of respondents, and reduced ability to go out, which 29% said they dreaded as winter sets in.
To address these challenges, Royal Voluntary Service has launched the Stay Safe, Warm and Well campaign in partnership with Yakult. The campaign provides a guide for practical and emotional winter preparation, encouraging sign-ups for telephone support services and offering access to the Virtual Village Hall online community for events and activities. Practical advice on money-saving and energy-saving tips is also available through the guide.
Royal Voluntary Service Ambassador Elaine Paige, who has herself made support calls for the charity, described the positive impact these calls can have. “A warm, friendly phone call can transform someone’s day. Some conversations leave you smiling long after the call ends—something we could all use, especially in winter. For those facing the season alone, there are amazing people ready to remind you that you’re not alone,” she said.
The charity’s support services match volunteers with individuals across the UK for friendly chats, reducing isolation and boosting mental health. Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service, said: “The feedback that conversations with volunteers are helping people to visit their GP less is testament to the value of connection.”
Yakult Marketing Manager Reshma Patel added: “Our research with Royal Voluntary Service shows that one in four adults over 75 feel they’d benefit from practical and emotional support over winter. We are committed to helping people access the Stay Safe, Warm and Well guide to support their overall well-being.”
Health
Over 1500 patients in Wales blocked from leaving hospital
THE First Minister Eluned Morgan has been pressured on her government’s failure to clear hospital beds in Wales, leading to delays for people seeking urgent medical care.
According to a report from BBC Wales, there are currently 1,600 patients across Wales waiting to be discharged from hospital compared to England where there are currently 12,000.
However, when comparing population sizes, it’s revealed that Wales is performing worse than its closest neighbour, with 0.05% of the population of Wales stuck in hospital beds compared to 0.02% in England.
The Welsh Labour government have been criticised for their failure to clear out backlogs in the system,
The Liberal Democrats have now called on the Welsh Government to provide urgent social care funding to local authorities to help alleviate pressures on the NHS in Wales.
Speaking in the Siambr on Tuesday, The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS described how over twenty years of Welsh Labour government in Wales had let to a “desperate situation in our NHS, with services nearing breaking point.
Welsh Labours refusal to change their approach and fix a system clogged up by mismanagement is directly responsible for the current situation faced by thousands of patients.
Delays in discharging patients from hospitals are placing huge pressures on both staff and those awaiting care, but there is a way out of this mess and the answer lies in social care.
I have been told by numerous professionals working in healthcare that the first step towards fixing our NHS is made by providing local authorities with the funding to fix social care services within their respected areas.
By dedicating adequate investment into our social care services, we can make life easier for patients discharged from hospital while also lifting the strain on health services throughout Wales.”
Education
Concern over ‘highest-ever’ school bullying rates
RATES of bullying in Welsh schools have reached record levels, with more than one in three children and young people reporting being bullied, the Senedd heard.
Gareth Davies raised concerns about a 6% increase in bullying between 2021 and 2023, according to a survey of more than 130,000 pupils in 200 secondary schools.
The Conservatives’ shadow mental health minister told the Senedd: “These results are higher than ever previously reported in the survey, which is deeply troubling.”
He said the latest survey showed regression on “just about every metric of pupil wellbeing”, including growing social isolation and a rise in behavioural issues.
Mr Davies, who worked in the NHS in north Wales for more than a decade, pointed to a 2021 legal duty to have regard to the mental health of children and young people.
He said: “The mental health of pupils has declined and reports of bullying in schools have only increased, so the Welsh Government have failed in that duty, unfortunately.”
Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell called for an update to 2019 anti-bullying guidance for school governing bodies following a commitment from the Welsh Government eight months ago.
The shadow education secretary focused on the impact of poverty, warning the high cost of school uniforms can cause stress and lead to bullying.
Mr Campbell, a former lecturer, expressed concerns about penalties, such as detention, for pupils over non-compliance with uniform policies.
Raising a report on “horrific” experiences of racism in Welsh schools, he said one pupil was told a classmate did not want to sit next to them due to the colour of their skin.
“That’s entirely unacceptable in our schools,” said Mr Campbell.
Labour’s Carolyn Thomas warned children’s mental health is at an all-time low, pointing to smartphones and social media as major contributing factors.
She said: “They can be used to bully, manipulate and control, sending young people into an isolated world of despair, not thinking they can get out of it or go to somebody for help.”
The North Wales politician highlighted a petition calling for a ban on phones in schools.
Rhys ab Owen, an independent who represents South Wales Central, stressed that bullying can impact people for decades to come after school.
“But it’s an issue that doesn’t affect learners equally,” he said. “In Cardiff, around a third of learners come from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
“And I was staggered to read a survey from 2020, which said that 61.5% of learners had expressed stereotypes over skin colour, religion and nationality.”
In a statement on November 12 to mark anti-bullying week, Lynne Neagle accepted that bullying continues to be an issue in Welsh schools.
Pledging to prioritise the problem, Wales’ education secretary said new statutory anti-bullying guidance will be published for consultation after Christmas.
Ms Neagle pointed to concerning trends, including 42% of girls scoring high or very high in a questionnaire on psychological problems compared with 27% of boys.
She told the Senedd: “I wouldn’t want to be a teenager growing up today.”
Ms Neagle stated the Welsh Government provided more than £800,000 this year for one of the biggest surveys of children and young people in the UK.
She said: “The link between bullying and mental health is well known. At its most extreme, young people have taken their own lives as a result of being bullied. This is a tragedy for the young life lost, for their family and friends and for whole communities.”
-
Business6 days ago
Original Factory Shop to close Haverfordwest branch in December
-
News7 days ago
Large fire at Bramble Hall Farm – Arson suspected
-
News3 days ago
‘Chariots of Fire’ Olympic pianist heads west for recital in local church
-
News3 days ago
Milford Haven RNLI Fundraisers celebrate successful fun run
-
News4 days ago
Lifeboat launched to assist injured climber at St Govans
-
Top News2 days ago
Pembrokeshire cottage industry receives UK’s most prestigious business accolade
-
Top News3 days ago
“The sense of power and the great surge of energy that this earth provides is all I want my paintings to share”
-
News3 days ago
Ferry diverts to aid yacht after medical emergency alert in Irish Sea