Health
Hospital visiting arrangements updated by Hywel Dda University Health Board
FAMILY and friends can now attend hospitals to visit patients under Hywel Dda University Health Board’s revised visiting arrangements.
The new arrangements, set out below, reflect feedback received from patients, their families, and staff about their experiences during the pandemic. They apply to all inpatient areas across health board sites, including adult, paediatric and infants, mental health and community areas.
Revised visiting arrangements:
- Standard or core visiting hours for general wards are agreed as 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm.
- Open/flexible visiting is in place in critical and specialist care units such as intensive care, special care baby unit, maternity and paediatrics).
- Only two visitors allowed at the bedside at any one time.
- Visiting ‘by appointment’ is encouraged to prevent overcrowding in a bay/ward at any one time and will be adopted when there is an increased incidence of certain communicable diseases in the general population, for example, COVID-19 or influenza.
- If visiting ‘by appointment’ is in place, this will be communicated to patients and visitors.
- Ward sisters/charge nurses/midwives in charge can use their discretion to facilitate visiting outside of core hours and in exceptional circumstances.
- Mealtimes remain protected as quiet times, with the option for visitors/carers to make arrangements with the ward sister/charge nurse to assist with feeding as appropriate.
- Where appropriate ‘virtual visiting’ can be supported.
- Specific visiting arrangements may be introduced to prevent the transmission of infection, for example, during an outbreak of infection on the ward.
- All visitors are advised not to visit if unwell with a gastrointestinal or respiratory infection.
- Please help us to prevent the spread of infection at all times and clean your hands before and after you leave the ward.
- The health board supports anyone who chooses to wear face coverings on our sites. In line with infection prevention and control guidance, staff, patients and visitors may on occasion be required to wear face masks in certain circumstances, such as in areas dealing with respiratory infections, or to protect our most clinically vulnerable people.
Mandy Rayani, Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient Experience said: “On behalf of the health board I would firstly like to extend our deepest thanks and gratitude to our communities, our patients and their families for your understanding and adherence to the hospital visiting rules that we previously had to impose throughout the pandemic. Your diligence and awareness of the need to keep loved ones safe in hospital has been key in our efforts to fight the virus.
“We recognise the therapeutic benefits of patients receiving visitors and the contribution they can bring to overall patient well-being. I am therefore delighted to confirm that these updated visiting arrangements are now in place, enabling our patients to have visitors while protecting their privacy and dignity, and ensuring they are cared for within a safe, secure and efficient environment.”
Hywel Dda University Health Board requests people not to visit any of its hospital sites if you:
feel unwell;
have flu-like symptoms or a respiratory infection;
currently have, or had, diarrhoea and/or vomiting in the past 48 hours;
have been in contact with anyone with the above symptoms in the past 48 hours;
have an existing medical condition or are on medication that puts them at risk of infection.
Health
Pembrokeshire residents suffer severe health decline ‘due to landfill gases’
A PEMBROKESHIRE couple, Mr Richard and Revd Patricia Rogers of Crud yr Awel, are experiencing severe health issues attributed to emissions from the Withyhedge Landfill, resulting in drastic lifestyle changes and severe symptoms.
Revd Rogers, who has managed asthma since childhood, reported a significant deterioration in her condition following exposure to landfill gases. Despite having controlled her asthma with minimal medication for years, she now requires intensive treatment including increased doses of Symbicort and Salbutamol Sulfate inhalers, alongside courses of steroids and antibiotics. Her symptoms have escalated to include extreme breathlessness, a hacking cough, frequent nosebleeds, continual headaches, and vertigo, culminating in a severe impact on her ability to perform daily tasks and care for her disabled daughter.
The couple’s health is closely monitored through their doctor’s surgery, and they attend the asthma clinic regularly. However, feeling powerless to directly change the situation, they have taken a stand by cancelling their council tax payments, a decision they plan to maintain until the landfill issue is resolved.
Revd Rogers has also prepared a letter to the Coroner, outlining the severity of her health issues as potentially life-threatening due to the landfill’s impact. This dramatic step underlines the gravity of their situation and their desperation for a resolution.
The Rogers’ story is not just a personal tragedy but a stark example of the broader environmental and health challenges faced by the community surrounding the Withyhedge Landfill.
They are calling for punitive measures against those responsible, including compensation for the financial impacts of their ordeal.
Their story has surfaced on the same day we reported that Natural Resources Wales is taking further enforcement action against the firm running the site.
NRW has issued site operators Resources Management UK Ltd (RML) with a further Regulation 36 Enforcement Notice which requires the operator to deliver a series of actions by specified deadlines to address ongoing smells from the landfill.
You can read more about the Enforcement Notice on the NRW website.
Outgoing Council Leader, Cllr David Simpson, said in a statement this week: “The smell from Withyhedge is having a major impact on residents and visitors. This situation has gone on too long and it is unacceptable.
“We now need to see RML act on the demands of the Notice and within the deadlines.
“The Council fully backs NRW’s stance that nothing is off the table in terms of further enforcement, including suspending the site’s environmental permit if appropriate, and we remain committed to working with NRW to ensure a long term solution to these issues.”
Health
Paul Davies responds to St David’s Surgery news
LOCAL Senedd Member Paul Davies has reacted to the news that St David’s surgery in North Pembrokeshire has decided to resign its General Medical Services Contract. It’s understood that for registered patients, care will continue to be provided until the end of October 2024 and patients are being advised to remain registered with the Practice while longer-term plans are developed. Patients will be invited to share their views as to how these services can continue to be delivered after the end of October.
Mr Davies said, “This is a very worrying announcement and patients in the local area will be understandably anxious about what this means for the future.”
“It’s vital that GP services can continue to be delivered in the area in the future and so Hywel Dda University Health Board must be open with patients of the Practice about their plans and address the community’s concerns. Every effort must be made to ensure that patients are able to access services in the long term.”
“I will of course, be raising this with the Welsh Government and urging the Health Minister to do everything in her power to support the Health Board and help ensure patients can access these vital services.”
Health
Doctors to enter pay negotiations with the Welsh Government
BMA CYMRU Wales has suspended forthcoming industrial action for Consultants and SAS doctors following a constructive meeting with the Welsh government to resolve its pay disputes.
As a result of sustained pressure, including three rounds of industrial action by junior doctors in Wales, the Welsh Government has made a significant proposal to form the basis of talks to end the pay disputes with all secondary care doctors including Consultants, SAS and Junior doctors.
Since the meeting last week, the committees representing doctors from all three branches of practice have voted to enter pay negotiations based on this proposal.
The planned 48-hour strike by Consultants and SAS doctors due to take place from 16 April will now be suspended.
Junior doctors have paused plans to announce more strike dates whilst they enter negotiations with the Welsh Government.
The Welsh junior doctors committee, Welsh SAS committee and Welsh consultants committee will now each engage in pay negotiations, with the aim of reaching deals which can be taken separately to their respective members.
Dr Oba Babs Osibodu and Dr Peter Fahey co-chairs of the BMA’s Welsh Junior doctors Committee said:
“This is a significant step forward. It is sad that we had to take industrial action to get here, but we are proud of members for demonstrating their resolve in pursuit of a fair deal for the profession.
“Whilst we are optimistic and hope to quickly resolve our dispute, we remain steadfast in achieving pay restoration. Until we reach a deal, nothing is off the table.
“We will continue to work hard to reach an offer that is credible to put to members who will ultimately have the final say.”
Dr Stephen Kelly, chair of BMA Cymru Wales’ Consultants committee said:
“The Welsh Government’s recent efforts to reach an end to the pay dispute are encouraging and so we have called off our planned strike for now whilst we allow time and space for negotiations to take place.
“We’re hopeful that we can reach a deal that sufficiently addresses years of erosion to our pay to help retain senior doctors in Wales but remain ready to strike if we’re not able to do so during negotiations.”
Dr Ali Nazir, chair of BMA Cymru Wales’ SAS doctor committee said:
“As a committee, we felt that this latest development goes someway to understanding the strength of feeling of our members. We will work hard to reach a settlement that sufficiently meets the expectation of our colleagues who have faced real terms pay cuts of up to a third since 2008/9.”
In August last year, the BMA’s committees representing secondary care doctors in Wales voted to enter into separate trade disputes with the Welsh Government after being offered another below inflation pay uplift of just 5% for the 23/24 financial year. SAS doctors on some contracts were offered as little as 1.5%. This was the lowest pay offer any government in the UK offered and less than the DDRB, the pay review body for doctors and dentists, recommended last year.
As part of their disputes, SAS doctors, consultants and junior doctors carried out successful ballots for industrial action. Since then, junior doctors have taken part in 10 days of industrial action since January this year.
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