Health
Protect yourself with a COVID-19 vaccine as drop-in sessions start locally
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HYWEL DDA University Health Board (UHB) has opened its vaccination centres across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire for eligible people to drop-in to receive their COVID-19 vaccine, no appointment needed.
With added winter pressures on the NHS, it is more important than ever that those who are eligible to get vaccinated to help prevent them becoming seriously unwell and protect the NHS this winter.
Older people and those with underlying medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer or chronic respiratory disease are more likely to develop serious illness and require hospital treatment if they catch COVID-19.
Eligible people aged 12 and above can drop-in between now and Christmas, however, the health board is asking anyone with an appointment already booked with their GP or community pharmacy to keep this wherever possible.
If you also require a flu vaccine, the health board will also offer this to you when you drop-in if you don’t have an upcoming appointment to receive this from your GP, community pharmacy or school nursing team.
Dr Ardiana Gjini, Director of Public Health at Hywel Dda UHB, said: “Since September, the Health Hoard, GPs and community pharmacies have invited eligible Hywel Dda UHB residents to receive their vaccines. If you haven’t had a chance to get your vaccine yet, now is the time to act.
“With colder weather and gatherings at Christmas with our older and clinically vulnerable nearest and dearest, being vaccinated or supporting your loved ones to get the vaccine is the best present you can give.
“Vaccines teach your immune system how to protect you from diseases. It’s much safer for your immune system to learn this through vaccination than by catching the diseases and attempting to treat them.
“If you have any questions about the vaccine or your eligibility, please do not hesitate to contact the health board on 0300 303 8322 or by emailing [email protected] and we’ll be happy to advise you.”
You are eligible for a COVID-19 autumn booster vaccination if you are:
- aged six months to 64 years in clinical risk groups
- someone with a learning disability
- aged 65 years and older
- pregnant
- living in a care home for older adults
- aged 12-64 who lives with someone who has a weakened immune system
- a carer aged 16 and over
- A frontline health worker or social care worker
- working in care homes for older adults
Please note the following drop-in sessions are for people aged 12 and over. If you or a family member is under 12 and is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, please contact your GP practice or alternatively contact the health board on 0300 303 8322 or email [email protected].
Carmarthenshire
- Llanelli, Unit 2a, Dafen Industrial Estate, Heol Cropin, SA14 8QW – drop-in opening times 9.15am to 5.30pm
- Monday 27 November
- Wednesday 29 November
- Thursday 30 November
- Friday 1 December
- Monday 4 December to Friday 22 December– every Monday, Wednesday Thursday and Friday
- Carmarthen Quins Rugby and Football Club (RFC) Training Ground, Castell Pigyn Road, Abergwili, SA31 2JJ – drop-in opening times 10.00am to 4.30pm
- From 28 November to 12 December – every Tuesday
Pembrokeshire
- Neyland, Unit 1 Honeyborough Retail Park, Neyland, Pembrokeshire, SA73 1SE – drop-in opening times 9.15am to 5.30pm
- Up until Friday 22 December – Monday to Friday
Ceredigion
- Cwm Cou, Ysgol Trewen, Cwm-Cou, Newcastle Emlyn SA38 9PE – drop-in opening times 9.30am to 5.30pm
- Up to 15 December – every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
- Up to 15 December – every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
- Thomas Parry Library, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth, SY23 3AS – drop-in opening times 10.00am to 4.30pm
- Every Monday to 11 December
Health
10-mile trek raises £1,000 for stroke unit
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A TEAM of 18 from CARA Wales took on a 10-mile trek and raised £1,000 for the Stroke Ward at Withybush Hospital.
The team from CARA Wales, an agricultural and rural consultancy and advice organisation, walked across the Preseli Mountains from Foel Drygan to Foel Eryr on 17th June 2023.
Mererid Sandbrook, who works for CARA Wales, said: “The walk started in Crymych and continued along the Golden Road up to Foel Eryr, the highest point of Preseli Mountain. It was a really enjoyable day.
“We were all really pleased to have raised such a great amount of money. We would like to thank everyone who donated money towards our challenge.”
They also raised £1,000 for Stroke Association.
Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to CARA Wales for taking on the 10-mile trek in aid of the Stroke Ward.
“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.”
Your donations are making a positive difference to the health, wellbeing and experience of NHS patients, service users and staff. For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk
Health
Hywel Dda to engage on Tregaron Community Hospital beds
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HYWEL DDA University Health Board is inviting members of the public to share their views about the potential of decommissioning the nine beds currently at Tregaron Community Hospital.
The proposal for a new model of care, which is part of the broader Cylch Caron project, will see the move of care from the hospital to people’s own homes enabled through a different model of support. This can only be achieved by staff working in different ways, focused on keeping people well at home, and with more available to help people in the community.
Peter Skitt, County Director Ceredigion at Hywel Dda University Health Board explains: “Members of our local community will be familiar with our vision, which includes the development of the Cylch Caron model of care that includes an integrated resource centre.”
Dr Sion James, Deputy Medical Director Primary Care and local GP for Tregaron, adds: “Tregaron Hospital has been a part of our local community for a number of years, and we need to provide our community with a range of services that meets their current and future needs.
“The Centre is an exciting and unique project that aims to offer many opportunities and benefits for people in the area. This will bring together a range of services in a central hub for the Tregaron and surrounding rural areas. The project will create an innovative rural model of community-based care to meet care, health and housing need in the area, which is fit for today and sustainable for tomorrow.”
The Cylch Caron scheme is being developed in partnership between Ceredigion County Council, Hywel Dda University Health Board and the Welsh Government. It will consist of a GP surgery, community pharmacy, outpatient clinics and community nursing and social care facilities, as well as extra care flats and integrated health and social care units.
Ceredigion County Council recently announced that they are inviting companies to tender for the design and build of the new fully-integrated health, social care and housing centre.
Peter adds: “While we develop our Cylch Caron scheme, we also need to consider our current model of care for patients at Tregaron Hospital. Despite efforts to recruit to positions, our current level of staffing is insufficient, and our staffing rotas are fragile. Our staff have voiced how challenging it is to support our patients through our current model of care at Tregaron Hospital. Our proposal is to move our staff from being hospital based and looking after the nine beds, to being community based. This will enable us to support more patients in their homes.
The Cylch Caron model of care is focused on providing more community nursing and enhanced care in people’s own homes. This would be achieved through outreach nursing and increased provision of same day urgent care. Outpatient appointments will continue to be provided from Tregaron Hospital and the building will serve as a hub for our staff until the new Cylch Caron Integrated Resource Centre is built.
Peter continues: “We know that being close to home, or in their home, is important for our patients. We want to increase the opportunity for people in Ceredigion to be able to stay well for longer, with the support of enhanced staffing in their own homes.
“At the moment, the patients in our care at Tregaron hospital live more than ten miles away from the hospital, and most are medically fit. And this has been common for a long time. Our proposal to move our staff to focus on advanced care in people’s homes provides a different way of supporting our patients. It will enable us to deliver our community care model quicker and support more people in our communities.
“Patients have consistently shared that they would prefer to be at home, or closer to home, and this tends to enable their recovery. We will work with our patients and their families, and our broader community, to understand their views during the planned period of engagement.”
The proposal to decommission the nine beds and the engagement period will be discussed at the Board meeting held on 25 July. The four-week period of engagement will launch on 1 August and run until 29 August 2024. Individuals will be able to attend online and in-person events and be able to share their views through the Health Board’s Have Your Say portal. Feedback from the engagement will be presented to the September meeting of the Health Board.
Further information on the events and how individuals can share their views will be shared at the end of July.
Health
Equipment and games for Glangwili children’s ward thanks to donations
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THANKS to donations, Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, has been able to provide equipment and games worth over £300 to Cilgerran Ward at Glangwili Hospital.
The NHS charity funded TV brackets, universal remotes, Nintendo Switch cases and Nintendo games including FIFA, Chocobo and Minecraft Dungeons.
Karen Thomas, Head of Therapeutic Play, said: “We are so grateful that charitable funds have allowed us to purchase more items for Cilgerran Ward.
“The new items will help the therapeutic play team work more effectively and focus their time on the children and young people in our care.
“Being able to play while in hospital means the children and young people can continue an aspect of their normal life. Arts and crafts help as they go through treatments and procedures in hospital, minimising the effects of isolation, stress and anxiety.
“The items will help make the ward and all the areas the children attend more friendly and promote wellbeing for all.”
Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “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 charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk
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