BETWEEN May 26 and August 24, 2023, Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB) will be inviting members of the public, staff and partner organisations, to share their views about urgent and emergency children and young people’s (paediatric) services at Withybush and Glangwili hospitals. We are seeking your views on how best to provide these services following a series of temporary changes made since 2016. This is part of the health board’s wider strategy to improve health and care in the region.

Maria Battle, HDUHB Chair, explains: “Following the temporary changes to paediatric services made since 2016, we now need to implement a longer-term solution that will be in place until the proposed new urgent and planned care hospital is developed. We have worked with our clinical and paediatric teams to identify the options for the services in the future and have three options that we would like your views on. At this stage, we do not have a preferred option for how urgent and emergency paediatric services at Withybush Hospital and Glangwili Hospital will be delivered.”

Professor Phil Kloer – Executive Medical Director and Deputy Chief Executive Officer added: “For all three options, it is important to note that access to children’s emergency care will be retained at Glangwili Hospital’s emergency department, and minor injuries for children will continue to be treated at both Withybush and Glangwili hospitals. Also, systems are already in place to ensure that any child or young person with critical conditions arriving at Withybush Hospital has the best care available and in the most appropriate place. This will continue as part of the new service.

“Before making any final decisions, the Board will consider all your feedback at the Board meeting towards the end of 2023 alongside all other evidence and relevant information collated during the process so far.”

Lee Davies, HDUHB Executive Director of Strategy and Planning, said: “During the consultation, the health board will be seeking feedback from everyone in our communities – particularly current and future users of our paediatric services. This is an opportunity to get involved and share your thoughts about the three options we are considering.

“Your views, along with other evidence and considerations, will help Hywel Dda University Health Board choose the most appropriate option for the future of urgent and emergency children and young people’s services at Withybush and Glangwili hospitals. We look forward to meeting with members of our communities during the coming weeks.”

The public drop-in events will be held between 1pm-6pm on:

• 20 June, Carmarthen Athletics Club, Cillefwr Industrial Estate, Carmarthen
• 23 June, Phoenix Centre, Goodwick, Fishguard
• 27 June, Cardigan Leisure Centre, College of Further Education Road, Cardigan
• 29 June, Pill Social Club, Cellar Hill, Milford Haven
• 3 July, Haverfordwest Rugby Club, Haverfordwest

In addition to the drop-in events, three online sessions are planned for:

• 19 June, 10am
• 22 June, 6.30pm
• 26 June, 1pm

Details of the consultation, including information on how to register for the online sessions, copies of the consultation documents in a range of formats, and details of how to share your views, will be available on the health board’s website from 26 May: Future Children Services – Hywel Dda University Health Board (nhs.wales)

NHS workers Wales must receive a newly approved wage rise in their pay pockets as soon as possible, UNISON said this week (Wednesday, May 24)

Leaders at UNISON, the largest health union in Wales, have welcomed the Welsh government decision to sign off the new pay offer but say the money must reach workers without delay.

The offer consists of a 5% wage increase (payable from 1 April 2023) and an additional one-off payment for 2022/23 – worth between £900 and £1,190.

Earlier this month UNISON consulted with staff on Agenda for Change contracts (those directly employed by the NHS) over the Welsh government’s pay offer for 2023/24 and an additional one-off ‘recovery payment’ for the previous financial year.

A significant majority (78%) voted to accept the offer, with just 22% voting to reject.

All NHS unions then met on Monday (May 22) declaring the majority of health unions in favour of the deal and a final decision to implement the offer was made by Welsh government today (Wednesday).

UNISON Cymru/Wales head of bargaining and campaigns Jess Turner said: “We’re pleased the new pay offer will now be rolled out but it’s vital that it reaches pockets of NHS staff in Wales without delay.

“The NHS is one team. Every job and every worker make an essential contribution to patient care.

“Thanks to this deal, NHS staff will receive their pay rise much sooner than in previous years. This sets an expectation for the way NHS pay is approached in future in Wales.”

PLAID CYMRU politicians have expressed grave concerns as waiting times for ambulances in west Wales continue to fall short of Welsh Government targets.
Data released this week (May 18) by the Welsh Government showed that during April 2023 only 46.8% of immediately life-threatening incidents within the Hywel Dda Health Board area were attended within 8 minutes. There is currently a target for 65% of such severe ‘red’ calls to have a response within 8 minutes.
Figures for west Wales fell below national average – with just over half (53%) of ‘red’ calls across Wales responded to within 8 minutes. In the neighbouring Powys Teaching Health Board, 42.6% of such emergency calls were attended to within the target 8 minutes.
The latest NHS figures also showed that at the end of March 2023, 31,700 patients’ pathways were waiting more than two years for treatment – falling around 5,000 from the previous month.
The Welsh Government had previously set a target that no-one would be waiting for more than 2 years for treatment as at the end of March 2023.
Earlier this year, Plaid Cymru published its five-point plan to help tackle the crisis in the NHS, but this was voted down by Labour.
Responding to the figures, Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Mid & West Wales said: “These latest ambulance response times continue to be alarming. Now we’re into spring, it’s clear that we’re no longer talking about seasonal pressures – but rather a deep-rooted inability to get to grips with the grid-lock in our NHS.
“The figures sadly reflect a growing trend I’m regularly seeing in my inbox and on the doorstep, with constituents across west Wales citing lengthy delays for an ambulance – often with devastating consequences. Whilst I am aware of the unprecedented pressures the pandemic has placed on our hardworking NHS staff and services, clearly urgent action needs to be undertaken to overcome these problems.”
Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, Plaid Cymru’s Health spokesperson added: “Welsh Government’s inability to improve waiting times sufficiently for patients – missing their own targets in the process, and even showing apparent denial that they weren’t on course to meet them – raises serious questions about Labour’s credibility in terms of running the health service. I don’t think it’s impossible for us to put together a vision and to deliver on that vision in a way that delivers better healthcare than we currently see being delivered here in Wales today. But when Labour can’t manage to reach their own targets, it’s hard to have any confidence in their ability to fix these issues.”