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Health

Statement insisting that there will be no closure of Withybush ‘is meaningless’ say campaigners

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HYWEL DDA Health Board’s recent statement insisting that there will be no closure of Withybush Hospital is meaningless and irrelevant, Save Withybush Campaigners have told The Pembrokeshire Herald

A petition, which has recently topped 10,000 signatures, and will now go to the Senedd petitions committee was set up by the Save Withybush Campaign with the specific aim of saving and retaining the A&E at the hospital.

The petition is demanding that: ‘Withybush General Hospital must retain 24 hour, 7 days a week, Consultant Led urgent care.’

Campaigners say that the health board’s assurance that they will not close the hospital bears no relevance to the issues at hand. “Our campaign is against the downgrading of the hospital and the closure of our A&E.

“In 2014 they removed the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and Consultant led maternity, leaving us with only a midwife led unit. This has already created a very unsafe maternity situation as any remotely risky pregnancies & births, plus emergencies have to be dealt with in Glangwili.

“In 2020 they removed Emergency Paediatrics to Glangwili.

“These moves are causing undue stress, prolonged travel times and financial burdens for families in Pembrokeshire. Nearly everyone in Pembrokeshire has a horror story about this. The ambulance service is
already at breaking point so our argument is that the downgrading and closure of the A&E at Withybush cannot and will not ever be safe.”

In the recent statement from Hwyel Dda, Mr Lee Davies, Director of Strategic, Development and Operational Planning, said: “Our ambition is to move from a service that treats illness to one that keeps people well, prevents ill-health or worsening of ill health, and provides any help you need early on.”

Campaigners say that there is absolutely no way to mitigate against serious injury or sudden life threatening illness and say this statement is meaningless when you hold it against the Health Boards plans to close the A&E. Pembrokeshire is home to industrial hot spots such as the Valero Oil and Gas refinery, we also have a huge population boost during the holiday tourism seasons. The point is, that without a fully functioning A&E at Withybush thousands of lives will be put at risk.

The Health Board’s recent Programme Business Case which is available to view on Hywel Dda’s website outlines several options which are under consideration for the future planned infrastructure and hospital footprint if a new build hospital near St Clears goes ahead.

The options listed range from ‘Minor’ though to ‘Maximum’ with ‘likely’ potential redevelopment scenarios for the Withybush site.

A protest in 2018 against closure of services at Withybush Hospital (Pic Herald)

Page 206 of the plan titled: ‘Opportunities and Observations’ clearly shows a potential redevelopment plan for Withybush where the A&E would be completely demolished while the main hospital footprint would be vastly reduced in size.

Several of the options involve new build scenarios which describe leaving only [quote] “a functional requirement at Withybush which includes a minor injuries unit with GP out of hours service and satellite imaging, four outpatient clusters and 16 renal treatment chairs. includes two 24-bed inpatient wards.”

Other key statements contained within the Business plan include: “As part of a wider site redevelopment strategy there may be an opportunity to demolish or re-develop some of the peripheral buildings around the site.” and “With a reduction in the building footprint and less car-parking required there is the potential to dispose of circa 6-7 acres in the future.”

Campaigners say this clearly demonstrates the Health Board’s intention not just to downgrade the hospital and to remove its A&E but to sell off the remaining land as well.

Adding: “These plans are not only unsafe but have been based on an out of date consultation which was worded in such a way that people were not even given the opportunity to object to the proposed closures or to the new build hospital.

“Under the Future Generations Act and the Social Services and Wellbeing act Welsh Government and the health Boards have legislative obligations to engage in co production with residents when planning any changes to services, this means they have to design services in partnership with all cross sections of the community which will be affected.

“They have abjectly failed in their responsibility to do this.”

Health

Over 1500 patients in Wales blocked from leaving hospital

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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.”

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Education

Concern over ‘highest-ever’ school bullying rates

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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.”

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Health

Fundraising events raise over £4,000 for ICU

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VICKI COLES and Sophie Moncrieff have raised a fantastic £4,140 for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Withybush Hospital in memory of Henry Coles, Vicki’s husband.

Vicki and Sophie, with the help of their family and friends, organised a number of charity events, a charity wax, a raffle and charity night at The Bull Inn in Prendergast.

Henry sadly passed away in March 2024 and Vicki wanted to raise money to say thank you for the amazing support he received at the ICU.

Vicki said: “The care Henry received, and the support given to us by the ITU staff, was amazing and we can’t thank them enough.

“I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped at this very difficult time. We look forward to doing another fundraiser for Henry’s birthday next year.”

Katie Hancock, Fundraising Officer said: “Thank you to Vicki and your family and friends for raising an amazing amount for the ICU at Withybush, it is a lovely tribute to Henry. We hope you take comfort in knowing the funds will make a big difference to the patients, families, and staff at the ICU at Withybush Hospital.

“The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

For more details about the NHS charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk

Pictured above: Vicki Coles and Sophie Moncrieff with staff from the unit

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