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Health Minister praises partnership working at South Pembrokeshire Hospital 

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THE MINISTER or Health and Social Services Eluned Morgan and Deputy Minister for Social Care Julie Morgan have visited South Pembrokeshire Hospital in Pembroke Dock to learn more about how partnership working helps patients in Pembrokeshire receive the best care.

The visit last week (Wednesday, 31 May) came ahead of today’s announcement that Welsh Government will invest up to £30m to deliver more care at home or in the community and reduce time people spend in hospitals.

The Health Minister and Deputy Minister for Social Care have set out how they will work with local government, NHS and other partners to strengthen local care services in order to help alleviate the kind of pressure on the health and care system seen this winter.

To see this work in action, Eluned Morgan and Julie Morgan, visited the Co-ordination Centre at South Pembrokeshire Hospital to hear more about the ‘Further Faster’ initiative where the Hywel Dda University Health Board, Pembrokeshire Council and third sector work together to co-ordinate and allocate the appropriate care to people across the county.

Operating seven days week, 8am to 6pm and staffed by a team of experienced clinicians and coordinators, the Coordination Centre provides a single place for the co-ordination and triage of referrals and enquiries regarding routine and planned, urgent and intermediate care needs for the people of Pembrokeshire.

Eluned Morgan said she was impressed by the ‘Further Faster’ initiative. She said: “I think this is an example of exactly what we’re trying to achieve across Wales but we’re trying to see this supercharged so we’re seeing local authorities work with the health board to make sure that we can discharge people from the hospital much quicker.

“But we also have a real recognition that there’s a lot of work we need to do in relation to prevention. And everybody working together here is absolutely key and I think, in relation to care, that is crucial as well.”

Julie Morgan agreed and praised the work at the Co-ordination Centre.

She said: ““I think we’ve seen a really good example of where everybody works together in the same room in the Co-ordination Centre. It was so striking to see everybody there together and the call handlers can refer people on to specialists sitting in the same room as them. The key issue really is to try and prevent hospital admissions and to do all we possibly can to keep people in the community and I think this is a great example.”

The Minister and Deputy Minister also met staff and patients at Martello House – a facility for patients who are receiving care after coming out of hospital and re-ablement care to prevent them returning to hospital and to be able to live independently at home.

Patient Paul McGrath from Pembroke Dock had an opportunity to speak to the Ministers about his experience at Martello house.

Mr McGrath underwent heart surgery earlier this year and after months of treatment and recovery in hospital, Mr McGrath was transferred to Martello House. He has been there for two weeks and is hoping to go back home in a week or so.

He said: “Because of the way Martello House works, it’s made me feel much more comfortable in doing things. I’ve been able to get up and about and get moving which has helped tremendously. Certainly, being here and what I’ve been doing, just moving around and walking, doing stuff for myself has helped my mobility and my confidence.

“They encourage the walking and maintaining the physiotherapy regime that I’ve been given. Making cups of tea, cups of coffee… sorting out breakfast for yourself, that sort of thing. Just getting on with day-to-day stuff.”

Mr McGrath said being at Martello house had speeded up his recovery process.

“When I first came here, I still couldn’t see myself being at home – I was worried about that. But being here made me realise that I’m supposed to be at home. I can be at home, I can carry on with whatever I’m doing here. Everything I do here, I can do at home.”

Jill Paterson, Director of Primary Care, Community and Long-Term Care for Hywel Dda University Health Board said: “This is a priority for us and our partner organisations. By working together to coordinate and deliver our services we can support individuals to remain at home or in their community with the right level of care and support so that they spend less time in hospital.”

Cllr Tessa Hodgson, Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, said: “We have a history of excellent partnership working in Pembrokeshire, with health, third sector and the authority’s social care delivering projects and services which supports our communities. It’s important to focus on what will benefit patients – and improve outcomes for the people who live in Pembrokeshire who need these vital health and care services. This approach will improve the co-ordination and efficiency to ensure services are fit-for-purpose and improve the lives of those who need support the most.”

According to Eluned Morgan, the new £30m investment will help to deliver thousands of extra hours of reablement services across Wales – providing as a safe alternative to hospital admission and to keep people at home, or so people can recover at home more quickly after a stay in hospital.

The money will also be spent on:

Recruiting more community workers to advise people on how they can access the right support and services to help them recover and lead independent lives;
Ensuring every local authority has a Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Responder Service by winter 2024. Currently only 10 local authorities have this facility. Using the latest monitoring technology this service will ensure people can get the help they need as quickly as possible;
Moving towards 24/7 Community nursing by increasing the availability of community nurses across Wales for an extra 10 hours a day on Saturdays and Sundays;
Strengthening community specialist palliative care – by making specialist nurses available overnight;
Providing practical support for local services to collaborate to put in place an individual care plan for those people identified as most at risk for urgent care. This will help to reduce hospital admissions.
ENDS

Cathryn Ings

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Health

Hay fever warning – Tree pollen on the rise across Wales

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POLLEN experts are warning that the next few days could be significant for those who suffer from hay-fever.

“The first medium pollen counts of the season are forecast across Wales over the next 5 days,” says airborne allergens expert Max Wiseberg, “and many hay fever sufferers start to experience symptoms when the count reaches this level. The main culprit at this time is birch pollen, the pollen most tree pollen allergy sufferers are allergic to. So now is the time for hay fever sufferers to prepare for the season ahead.”

“Birch is arguably the most problematic tree of them all for hay fever sufferers,” continues Max. “In the same family as alder and hazel trees, the birch is the worst of the bunch for the 25% of UK hay fever sufferers who are allergic to tree pollen. The peak of the birch pollen season can run throughout April to mid May.”

“So now is the time to start preparing for the season ahead. If you are already starting to experience hay fever symptoms or want to avoid them being triggered, start to apply an allergen barrier balmsuch as HayMax, which works by trapping pollen before it enters the body and starts to work straight away. If you use antihistamines, many manufacturers recommend starting a month before your season starts, so if you haven’t started already, now is the time. And it’s the same with nasal sprays; they need several days to build up to their maximum protective effect and some makers advise starting using them one month before your hay fever season begins.”

“If your symptoms are particularly bad on a given day, or you find that nothing really works, or the remedy you use stops working, try combining products for a greater effect, in other words create your own ‘Hay Fever First Aid Kit’, a combination of products which can be complementary to one another. My recommendation would be an allergen barrier balm to trap the pollen, one (and only one) antihistamine to combat the overproduction of histamines, one (and only one) steroid nasal spray, as the nasal area is where the pollen enters and is most affected, plus one or more drug-free or natural products.”

“There are several practical things you can do to reduce the effects of pollen:

  • When you’re outdoors wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes. Apply an allergen barrier balm to help prevent pollen getting up your nose. And wear a cap or other head cover and tie up long hair to stop pollen getting trapped in your hair,
  • When you return home, take off your shoes at the front or back door so you don’t bring pollen indoors with you, Washing your face, changing your clothes and having a shower will all help by removing pollen from your hair and body.
  • Keep pollen out of your home. Keep doors and windows closed. Dust and vacuum regularly, including fabrics and upholstery, to remove pollen. Damp dusting will help stop pollen being dispersed back into the air. If you have a pet, keep it well groomed and washed regularly, to remove pollen from its fur and keep it out of the room in which you sleep.”

“There is currently no cure for hay fever – they’ve been working on it for years – but until there is there are many products – both natural and conventional – and lifestyle changes you can try. Check out my website www. https://haymax.biz/hay-fever/ for more ideas. Good luck!”

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Health

RCN’s three urgent steps to rescue Welsh NHS sent to First Minister

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HELEN WHYLEY, Director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales, has written to the First Minister calling for immediate action in three key areas to protect patients and secure the future of nursing in Wales.

The RCN first urges Vaughan Gething to deliver on promises in the Welsh government’s 2023/24 pay offer – prioritising patient safety by ensuring there are enough nursing staff to deliver safe and effective care. Second, the organisation warns him to responsibly introduce registered nursing associates to Wales. The letter ends by asking him to strategically invest in the education of nurses at all career stages, to meet future health care demands.

Promises in the 2023/24 pay offer included action on patients being cared for in inappropriate places (so-called “corridor care”), better access to flexible working, a 36-hour week, and more.

Helen Whyley said: “Now is the time for the First Minister to refresh his public commitment to safe and effective care. That would go a long way towards assuring nursing staff that his government will address the extreme pressures they are under.

“What’s critical is that the First Minister keeps nurses nursing in the NHS. That’s why he must make sure the Welsh government keeps every promise it made to our members last year to end industrial action. Those important promises could make a real difference to nurses and to their patients. That’s why our members accepted them in good faith – but half a year later, they have yet to feel a difference.

“New nursing roles are fantastic, but patients need to understand what that means for them – and, crucially, they need to be funded properly. Any risk to patient safety from registered nurses being inappropriately replaced is completely unacceptable. And this can’t become a distraction from getting the basics right, either. A national strategy for commissioning nursing education, all the way from student to advanced and consultant level, would be a fitting ambition for a new First Minister with a commitment to improving health.”

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Health

Brain Injury Group Donates £3,000 to local services

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THE SOUTH WEST WALES BRAIN INJURY GROUP (SWWBIG) has announced donations to two local health boards, giving £1,000 each to Neath Port Talbot Neuro Rehabilitation Unit and the Community Brain Injury Services at Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda University Health Boards.

This funding boost for the health boards comes from the profits earned at the SWWBIG conferences in 2022 and 2023, which were organised and sponsored by JCP Solicitors and co-sponsored by Fieldbay (part of the ivolve Care & Support group).  

The conferences, which have taken place annually since 2011, provide an opportunity for individuals and families affected by brain injury, as well as healthcare professionals, charities, students and researchers across South West Wales to come together and explore the critical stages of survival and recovery. 

The 2022 and 2023 conferences each welcomed around 200 attendees and raised £3,000 in excess funds. The committee, made up of healthcare workers and practitioners in the field of brain injury, voted to donate to the brain injury services in their local health boards, ensuring that the funds can be used to assist the brain injury community in South West Wales in the best way possible. 

Suzanna Charles, Chair of SWWBIG said: “The South West Wales Brain Injury Conferences are always a huge success, as we are able to facilitate important conversations for professionals working in the field and offer support.

“What is more, the conferences raise vital funds which will go towards providing ongoing rehabilitation for those affected by brain injury. We are proud to provide this additional funding which will have a direct, positive impact on brain injury survivors in our local area. 

“The journey through rehabilitation is different for everyone, and it is so important to have a supportive network of healthcare professionals and experts to guide patients while listening to their individual needs.”

The main objective of the South West Wales Brain Injury Group is to provide a forum for individuals with an interest in acquired brain injury, to educate and encourage development and dissemination of good practice. For more information on SWWBIG or to register your interest to attend the conference in 2024, please visit www.swwbig.co.uk.   

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