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Health Board takes actions to protect healthcare for the most critically ill

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HEALTH and care services across West Wales are responding to the impacts of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in order to provide emergency and urgent care for patients in the safest way possible during the coming weeks.

Hywel Dda University Health Board is taking a number of actions today, and appealing for the continued support of our staff and communities to keep Hywel Dda safe as we face this new phase of the pandemic.

Actions are being taken in a planned way due to the high demand we are seeing for non-COVID care during this time of the year, together with high incidence of COVID-19 in our area, like the rest of the UK.

This is starting to result in higher numbers of COVID admissions and incidences in our hospitals and communities.  

It is also having a direct impact on our staffing levels across primary care, community and hospital services.  We currently estimate that at least 10 per cent of our workforce is absent for both COVID and non-COVID related reasons.  This figure is higher in some teams and we expect it to rise in the coming weeks. We need to plan how we deliver the most critical clinical services with the staff we have available. 

Actions being taken include:

  • The health board is providing and reminding staff of the services available to them internally to support them at this difficult time. It is standing down some less urgent work in order to redeploy staff where possible.
  • To maintain delivery of the most urgent cancer surgery in the short term, this will be undertaken for the Hywel Dda population from Prince Philip Hospital, in Llanelli, with the exception of Head and Neck urgent cancer surgery, which will continue at Glangwili General Hospital, in Carmarthen.. Our clinicians believe that concentrating the majority of our urgent care resources onto one site during the next few weeks is the best way to protect the delivery of this potentially life-saving surgery. This position will be continually reviewed and we will seek to re-establish urgent cancer surgery at our other main hospitals as soon as we can do so safely. We ask patients and families to support us and travel for their surgery. If you have no means to travel for your surgery, then please contact us on our COVID enquiries line on  0300 303 8322 or email [email protected] 
  • Outpatient & therapy appointments and clinics will be prioritised for the most urgent patients over the next few weeks. With the exception of a small number of emergency cases and some children’s appointments, we will reschedule outpatient appointments next week.  Patients will be re-booked according to clinical urgency in subsequent weeks. Unless you are contacted directly by the health board, please attend any appointment as scheduled. If anyone has concerns about the delay in their outpatient appointment, as a result of this short term measure, they can contact the health board on 0300 303 8322 or email [email protected] 

Director of Operations Andrew Carruthers said: “The whole of the UK is facing challenge from Omicron and the indirect impact on staffing. This is affecting us in Hywel Dda UHB across all our services whether in the community, primary care or hospitals, but to different degrees and is a very fluid situation. To ensure the delivery of care for the most critically unwell, and to ensure we protect the ability of our staff to provide this care, we have put in place actions that will provide some extra capacity. We apologise to anyone affected adversely by these actions and it remains our ambition, always, to re-establish our planned care services as soon as we are able to, knowing the impact this has on people’s lives.”

Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient Experience Mandy Rayani added: “We are so grateful to our staff who continue to work in difficult circumstances, always driven by the desire to provide the best care possible to our population. We are asking our staff to be vigilant about the behaviours we know reduce transmission of COVID-19 at work and at home; and our public can also play a significant role in supporting the NHS and each other by also adhering to these principles. Unfortunately we are seeing more abuse targeted at our staff and we will not tolerate this. Health and care staff – from the clinicians to the support teams and call handlers in primary, community and hospital teams – provide a service to help our patients and communities and they should never be the victims of abuse, physical or verbal. Please help us to help you.”

Steps you can take to protect more lives, our NHS and each other include:

  • Get your full course of vaccination https://hduhb.nhs.wales/healthcare/covid-19-information/covid-19-vaccination-programme/
  • Follow Welsh Government guidance on self-isolation and testing, including carrying out regular LFDs (health and care staff have specific and different guidance internally)
  • Wear face coverings, or if asked in a health setting, a surgical face mask
  • Keep a 2meter distance from others when you can
  • Wash hands regularly and be ready to be asked by a healthcare professional to wash hands or sanitise whether in hospital or your own home
  • Do not accompany people to hospital, GP surgery, or another setting unless they are vulnerable and need your assistance
  • Please be aware that your GP surgery may offer you appointments in different ways where appropriate, such as over the telephone or online. Please allow extra time when ordering prescriptions during this busy time. Community pharmacies are also extremely busy so you may need to wait longer than usual.
  • Pre-arrange hospital visiting with the ward sister and be understanding if it is not possible at this time due to safety

The health board continues to work closely with others including the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust, local authorities and other partners to work together in these challenging times.

If you or a loved one is unwell, remember:

If you have a relative or loved one in hospital who is medically fit but is waiting to be discharged, you may be able to help us by providing short term care or considering interim placements in care homes.

 

Community

Cleddau at heart of major water reforms as ministers promise ‘fundamental reset’

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New regulation plan aims to tackle pollution, sewage spills and ageing infrastructure

COMMUNITIES along the River Cleddau could see tighter controls on pollution and stronger oversight of water companies after ministers unveiled what they describe as a once-in-a-generation shake-up of how Wales’ water system is run.

The Welsh Government this week published a Green Paper promising cleaner rivers, tougher enforcement and a new Welsh economic regulator dedicated solely to the water sector.

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said it was time for a “fundamental reset” to rebuild public trust, warning that ageing infrastructure, climate pressures and growing concern about water quality meant the current system was no longer fit for purpose.

For Pembrokeshire residents, those words land close to home.

A First Milk discharge pipe into the Western Cleddau at a spot known as Fortune’s Frolic on 16 June 2023 (Pic: Supplied)

Local frustration growing

From Haverfordwest down to Milford Haven, the Cleddau is both a working waterway and a natural asset, supporting wildlife, leisure users, anglers and tourism businesses.

But in recent years there have been repeated complaints about sewage overflows, murky water after heavy rain and nutrient pollution washing in from across the catchment.

Storm discharges and wastewater treatment are the responsibility of Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, while environmental enforcement sits with national regulators. Many locals say neither has acted quickly enough when problems arise.

Brown froth can be seen on the banks of the Western Cleddau (Pic: Supplied)

Residents and river users have told The Herald they feel the estuary is “worse than it used to be”, particularly after periods of wet weather when combined sewer overflows can activate.

Concerns range from the impact on fish stocks and birds to whether the water is safe for paddleboarding, sailing and wild swimming.

What ministers are proposing

The consultation sets out plans to:

  • create a new Welsh regulator focused on water
  • strengthen monitoring and enforcement
  • drive investment in ageing pipes and treatment works
  • improve transparency and accountability
  • support long-term environmental protection

Since 2022, the government says it has invested more than £56 million tackling water quality through enforcement, monitoring and nature-based solutions. A further £5 million has been earmarked next year specifically for river and coastal improvements.

Ministers say the changes should make it easier to fine or sanction poor performance and force faster upgrades where infrastructure is failing.

Why the Cleddau matters

The Cleddau catchment is one of west Wales’ most important waterways.

It feeds into the Milford Haven Waterway, a key centre for industry, energy, fishing and recreation, while also providing habitat for protected wildlife and drawing thousands of visitors each year.

Any decline in water quality has knock-on effects not just for nature but for jobs and the local economy.

Campaigners argue that without tougher oversight and sustained investment, the river risks long-term damage.

Consultation open

The Green Paper is now out for public consultation, with ministers inviting views from residents, businesses and community groups.

For many in Pembrokeshire, this may be a rare chance to push for specific improvements on their doorstep — from fewer sewage discharges to better monitoring of agricultural runoff and clearer reporting when incidents occur.

If the promised “reset” is to mean anything locally, it will be judged on one thing: whether the Cleddau actually gets cleaner.

The consultation is open on the Welsh Government website, and submissions can be made by individuals as well as organisations.

 

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News

Davies and Morgan clash over policing powers and terror response in Senedd exchange

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CONSERVATIVE MS says breaking up UK would ‘benefit criminals’ as First Minister insists Wales would still rely on cross-border co-operation

A ROW over whether policing powers should be devolved to Wales spilled onto the Senedd floor as a senior Conservative warned that separating from UK-wide structures could leave the country exposed to terrorism and serious crime.

During questions to the First Minister in Senedd Cymru, Andrew RT Davies pressed ministers on whether law and order is better delivered from Westminster rather than Cardiff Bay.

Opening the exchange, Mr Davies said that although he and the Welsh Government disagreed on where policing powers should sit, they should both accept that dismantling the United Kingdom would weaken security.

He told the chamber that if “separatists had their way and they broke up the United Kingdom, policing would be fundamentally weakened in these islands and the criminals will benefit from it”.

He asked the First Minister to agree that the UK provides the strongest framework for keeping communities safe through joint working between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“The co-operative working and that strong union, working together… protects the citizens of this great country of ours,” he said, urging ministers to reject what he called a “narrow, separatist, independent argument”.

‘Strong devolution in a strong UK’

Responding, Eluned Morgan said her government was not pursuing devolution as a stepping stone to independence.

“We want to see strong devolution in a strong UK,” she said, adding that Labour remained committed to improving services rather than chasing constitutional change for its own sake.

She argued that reforming how policing is governed in Wales could improve accountability and outcomes for the public, particularly as discussions continue over replacing the current police and crime commissioner model.

“We want to see change when it comes to policing… because we want to see better provision for the people in Wales,” she told MSs.

Terrorism expertise ‘not something you could replicate’

However, the First Minister acknowledged that certain specialist capabilities, particularly counter-terrorism, would still require close links with the rest of the UK.

“It of course makes sense for us to co-operate across the border when it comes to policing, when it makes sense,” she said.

“Just think about terrorism; we’ll never have the kind of absolute expertise in terrorism that you may get in a place like London. We would have to work with them and depend on them—not something you could do in an independent Wales.”

Her comments prompted Mr Davies to argue that this reliance showed why policing should remain reserved to Westminster.

He later said the admission demonstrated “the dangers of putting the Senedd in charge of policing”, claiming Wales could end up dependent on external support during major incidents.

Long-running debate

Policing and criminal justice are among the few major public services not currently devolved to Wales, with responsibility resting with the UK Government.

Supporters of devolution, including Plaid Cymru, argue that Welsh control would allow policies better tailored to local needs.

Opponents say fragmenting the system could weaken intelligence sharing and increase costs, particularly for specialist units tackling organised crime and terrorism.

The exchange underlines how the issue remains a political dividing line in Cardiff Bay, with both sides framing the argument around public safety rather than constitutional theory.

For now, any change would require agreement from Westminster, meaning the debate is likely to continue long before any powers formally shift.

 

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Crime

Pembroke Dock woman admits breaching community order

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Magistrates revoke sentence after missed appointments

A PEMBROKE DOCK woman has admitted breaching the terms of a community order.

Shannon Charge, aged 30, of Pater Court, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Feb 2).

She admitted failing to attend a scheduled probation appointment and a drug dependency appointment.

Magistrates revoked the existing community order and ordered her to pay £60 in court costs.

The court heard the order related to earlier offences, for which she had been made subject to rehabilitation and drug treatment requirements. A further review hearing is listed for March 2.

 

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