Additional GP and health checks welcomed as BMA warns more than half of Welsh doctors cannot routinely meet demand

THERE are signs of improvement at one of Pembrokeshire’s most heavily pressured GP practices, but fresh figures suggest the problems facing Argyle Medical Group are far from resolved.

Henry Tufnell MP has welcomed the introduction of a new appointment system at the Argyle Street surgery in Pembroke Dock, together with what he described as the arrival of an additional doctor and the rollout of free health screening for patients aged over 65.

The Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP said he had received positive feedback about the practice’s new booking arrangements, following months of concern over difficulties securing appointments.

Argyle Medical Group introduced its Anima online triage system on June 10. It replaced the previous online system and was intended to reduce the familiar 8am rush for appointments.

Patients submit details of their medical problem online, after which the request is assessed and directed to the most appropriate clinician or service. Those unable to use the internet can still contact the surgery by telephone and reception staff can complete the request on their behalf.

The practice says it aims to assess requests on the same day, although some routine matters may take longer.

However, the system does not remove the underlying issue of limited capacity.

Argyle has warned that Anima may close to further medical submissions when the number of requests reaches the maximum level the practice believes it can safely manage.

Patients may then have to try again on the following working day, although those with urgent concerns are advised to contact the surgery, NHS 111 or emergency services as appropriate.

The pressure is also being increased by the continuing closure of St Oswald’s Surgery in Pembroke, which is part of Argyle Medical Group.

The branch remains closed for maintenance work and is currently not expected to reopen until September 2026.

Argyle Medical Group serves more than 22,000 patients across the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock area. Previous figures raised in the Senedd indicated that the practice had nine registered GPs, giving it one of the highest patient-to-doctor ratios in Wales.

Mr Tufnell’s announcement that another doctor has joined the practice will therefore be welcomed, although it is not yet clear whether the appointment is permanent or full-time.

The developments come as new research from BMA Cymru Wales paints a bleak picture of general practice across the country.

A survey of 221 Welsh GPs found that 54 per cent believed patient access was routinely inadequate when compared with demand.

A further 63 per cent said excessive workloads were routinely or constantly affecting patient care, while 70 per cent said the pressure was having a similar effect on their own wellbeing.

Practices are also making difficult financial decisions to remain viable. The survey found that 43 per cent had frozen recruitment, 31 per cent had delayed investment in buildings, technology or facilities, and 23 per cent had reduced services such as minor surgery and shared-care arrangements.

Dr Gareth Oelmann, chair of the BMA’s Welsh GP committee, said demand was far outstripping the capacity available within surgeries.

He called for sustained investment to allow practices to recruit more doctors, improve services and plan for the future.

Welsh Conservatives have blamed what they described as years of political mismanagement for the situation.

Natasha Asghar MS, the party’s Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care, said: “These findings are deeply worrying but, sadly, they won’t come as a surprise to patients who are struggling to get a GP appointment.

“When GP practices cannot recruit staff, are forced to freeze investment and are even cutting services just to keep their doors open, it is patients who pay the price through longer waits and poorer access to care.

“If we are serious about shifting more healthcare into the community and reducing pressure on hospitals, then general practice must be properly resourced.”

For Argyle patients, the new booking system and reported recruitment of another doctor represent positive steps.

The more important test will be whether patients experience sustained improvements, whether the system regularly reaches its daily limit, and whether the practice can recruit and retain enough clinicians to meet the needs of its large patient population.

RNLI crews were called to Pendine and Amroth within minutes of each other on a busy Sunday afternoon

BOTH of Tenby’s lifeboats were launched on Sunday afternoon following separate reports involving kayakers along the Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire coastline.

The all-weather lifeboat was requested shortly before 4.30pm on July 12 after RNLI lifeguards at Pendine raised concerns about a kayaker who had left the beach earlier in the afternoon but had not returned.

The kayak could no longer be seen from the shore, prompting Tenby’s volunteer crew to launch and make their way towards the area.

As the lifeboat arrived, the Coastguard received a call from the kayaker confirming they were safe and well at Morfa Bychan beach and did not require assistance.

The crew was stood down from the search but was immediately redirected to assist Tenby’s inshore lifeboat with a second incident off Amroth.

The inshore lifeboat had been launched after a member of the public dialled 999 and reported seeing a kayaker who appeared to be waving between Amroth and Monkstone.

A local fishing vessel, which had heard the Coastguard broadcast asking nearby boats to look out for the kayak, located the man before the lifeboats arrived.

The inshore lifeboat was soon alongside, where the kayaker confirmed he had been fishing and was not in difficulty.

Both the inshore and all-weather lifeboats were then stood down and returned safely to Tenby.

Man, 28, re-arrested under terrorism legislation after new evidence emerges in former minister’s suspected murder

COUNTER-TERRORISM officers have taken control of the investigation into the death of former government minister Ann Widdecombe following the discovery of new information and evidence.

A 28-year-old man from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who was initially arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday, has now been re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Police stressed that investigators are continuing to examine several possible lines of enquiry and have not publicly established a motive.

Miss Widdecombe, aged 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon, after emergency services were called shortly before midday on Thursday, July 9.

Officers said she had suffered serious injuries, prompting the launch of a murder investigation and a major police operation stretching from Devon to South Yorkshire.

The suspect was arrested at an address in Rotherham shortly after 9.00pm on Saturday, July 11. Specialist counter-terrorism officers had already been working alongside Devon and Cornwall Police before formally taking the lead in the case.

Counter Terrorism Policing South East said the change followed developments during what it described as a complex and rapidly moving investigation.

Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said officers were working urgently to determine what motivated the attack.

He said specialist resources from across the counter-terrorism network were now being deployed and appealed for anyone with relevant information to contact police.

The development represents a significant change from the position outlined by Devon and Cornwall Police over the weekend, when officers said there was nothing at that stage to suggest the death was connected to terrorism or politically motivated.

Police had also urged politicians and members of the public not to speculate while detectives continued their work.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood updated MPs in the House of Commons on Monday, confirming that counter-terrorism officers were now leading the investigation.

She said the suspect was not previously known to Prevent, the Government programme intended to identify and support people considered vulnerable to radicalisation.

The Home Secretary described Miss Widdecombe as a forthright and fearless figure and said her death had raised wider questions about the security of politicians and others involved in public life.

She said guidance would be issued to MPs and confirmed that former Lord Chancellor Sir Robert Buckland had been asked to examine lessons arising from the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in 2021.

The Government has also offered Reform UK leader Nigel Farage a meeting with officials responsible for assessing protection for prominent public figures.

Police believe Miss Widdecombe was attacked at around 12.30pm on Wednesday, July 8. Her body was discovered the following morning after concerns were raised about her welfare.

A separate 26-year-old man arrested during the early stages of the investigation was later released and is no longer connected with the enquiry.

Miss Widdecombe served as Conservative MP for Maidstone and later Maidstone and The Weald between 1987 and 2010.

She held several ministerial positions during Sir John Major’s government, including roles at the Home Office, and later became shadow home secretary.

After leaving Westminster, she became widely known for television appearances including Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.

She returned to frontline politics in 2019 when she joined the Brexit Party and was elected as a member of the European Parliament for South West England. She later became a prominent Reform UK spokeswoman.

Political leaders from across the parties have paid tribute to Miss Widdecombe, while around 40 people attended a vigil near her Dartmoor home on Sunday.

Police continue to appeal for information and have warned that the fact counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation does not establish any particular ideology, political connection or motive.

No charge has been brought and the investigation remains ongoing.