News

Senedd Covid-19 committee branded ‘not fit for any purpose’ by bereaved families

Published

2 years ago

February 7, 2024

BEREAVED families have described a Senedd Covid-19 committee as “not fit for any purpose” amid concerns about duplication and a lack of engagement.

The Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee, co-chaired by Labour’s Joyce Watson and the Tories’ Tom Giffard, was set up to identify gaps in the UK public inquiry.

However, committee members have so far held two briefings with academics from English universities on civil contingencies – an area covered by the UK inquiry.

The committee argues work on identifying gaps can only begin when the UK Covid-19 inquiry reports, so it is gathering expert advice in the interim.

But Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, who leads Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, said the gaps are already clear from six weeks of evidence to the judge-led UK inquiry.

Criticising the committee’s suggestion that it will “play it by ear”, she added that the UK inquiry reports are hardly going to identify gaps in its own processes.

She said the academic briefings seem like duplication rather than gap analysis, arguing the public purse should not be footing the bill for bringing MSs up to speed.

A stakeholder event, held in the Welsh Parliament on January 23, was scheduled for an hour-and-a-half but cut short to 45 minutes, leaving families with unanswered questions.

Ms Marsh-Rees, from Abergavenny, whose father died after catching the virus in hospital, criticised a lack of meaningful engagement so far.

She said the committee has failed to fully utilise families’ expertise as core participants in the UK inquiry, raising concerns they have been treated like an annoyance by the committee.

Ms Marsh-Rees stressed the campaign group is not trying to be difficult, saying: “I keep telling them all: we are not doing this for fun – we are doing this to get answers.”

Sam Smith-Higgins, a fellow campaigner, who also lost her father to hospital-acquired Covid-19, said families are in no way at the heart of the committee’s work.

She urged the Senedd to look to the example of the safety net offered by Scotland’s inquiry.

Ms Smith-Higgins said: “In no way is this committee a replacement for a judge-led public inquiry and they do not have the skills or resources to pretend that they can scrutinise anything that comes from the UK inquiry.”

The campaigner described a January 30 briefing as a Btec in civil contingencies, saying: “The worst part of it was they were clearly very focused on the UK Government.

“They didn’t know much about the Welsh Government at all.”

Ms Marsh-Rees cautioned that the Senedd committee heard incorrect advice from academics which risks undermining the UK inquiry.

She said: “It feels to us that this committee isn’t looking at the gaps, it’s almost preparing for the report so it can then defend the Welsh Government.

“There’s much less scrutiny of Wales than the UK, yet they’re even undermining that.”

The committee has met in private four times since it was established in May 2023, with the next meetings on February 20 and March 19 set to be held behind closed doors too.

Ms Smith-Higgins warned that independent scrutiny is non-existent in Wales, saying families felt despondent after witnessing the work of the “ill-thought-out” committee.

She contrasted this with the forensic approach of the UK inquiry, which will sit in Cardiff three weeks from today on February 27.

“It’s like something out of The Vicar of Dibley,” she said, referring to the Wales committee. “It’s just pathetic. Nothing would make me happier than for them to just bin it.”

Warning that the memories of lost loved ones are being “papered over”, she said: “Having listened to what we have listened to so far, it’s better to have nothing than this committee.

“When you’ve got witnesses giving incorrect advice and undermining the UK inquiry, it’s better to have no committee. They are completely wasting their time, our money.”

Ms Marsh-Rees was disappointed when no Labour MSs turned up to a briefing that the bereaved families organised at the Senedd on January 16.

She said: “They should be proud that volunteers are trying to put Wales on the map in a UK inquiry – a UK inquiry they wanted. We have done our best to make sure Wales has parity.”

In a statement, the committee said: “We cannot underestimate the pain and trauma that many across Wales faced throughout the pandemic, and we understand why there is a debate around how in Wales we respond to what happened.

“Our committee has been given a very specific and clear remit, which was agreed by a majority of Members of the Senedd.

“This commits us to looking at the reports of each stage of the UK Covid-19 inquiry, and recommending to the Senedd any gaps that need further examination.

“We can only begin work on identifying these gaps when the UK Covid-19 inquiry reports – the first of which is expected this spring.

“We’ll make sure we involve the public and experts to help us do this. Until then, we are tracking the work of the national inquiry and gathering expert advice to inform our work.

“Those who lost their lives or whose lives were changed forever, and their families, are at the heart of all we are doing.”

Community

Craig Flannery appointed as new Chief Fire Officer

Published

6 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Tom Sinclair

MID AND WEST WALES FIRE SERVICE LEADERSHIP CHANGE

MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has announced the appointment of Craig Flannery as its new Chief Fire Officer, with effect from Monday, December 15, 2025.

Mr Flannery has served with the Service for more than twenty years, progressing through a wide range of middle management and senior leadership roles across both operational and non-operational departments.

During his career, he has been closely involved in strengthening operational delivery, risk management and organisational development. His work has included leading innovation in learning and development, overseeing the Service’s On-Call Improvement Programme, and driving investment in key enabling functions such as workforce development and information and communication technology.

The appointment followed a rigorous, multi-stage recruitment process led by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority. Candidates were assessed through structured interviews, strategic leadership exercises and scenario-based assessments designed to test operational judgement, organisational vision and the ability to lead a modern fire and rescue service.

External professional assessors were also engaged to provide independent scrutiny, ensuring the process met high standards of fairness, transparency and challenge.

Mr Flannery emerged as the strongest candidate, demonstrating clear strategic leadership capability, detailed organisational knowledge and a strong commitment to community safety and service improvement.

Councillor John Davies, Chair of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “Craig brings a deep understanding of our Service and a clear vision for its future. His appointment will strengthen our ability to innovate, support our workforce and deliver high-quality protection for the communities we serve.

“As we navigate a rapidly changing landscape, Craig’s experience in driving innovation and organisational development will be invaluable in helping us adapt and transform for the future.”

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Flannery said: “It is a privilege to lead this outstanding Service. I am committed to supporting our people, strengthening partnerships and building on the strong foundations already in place.

“As the challenges facing fire and rescue services continue to evolve, we must modernise and innovate, ensuring we have the skills, technology and capability needed to meet the needs of our communities. I look forward to working with colleagues and partners across Mid and West Wales to deliver a resilient, progressive Service that keeps people safe and places our staff at the heart of everything we do.”

Health

Resident doctors in Wales vote to accept new contract

Published

12 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENT doctors across Wales have voted to accept a new contract, with 83% of those who took part in a referendum backing the agreement, according to BMA Cymru Wales.

The contract includes a four per cent additional investment in the resident doctor workforce and introduces a range of reforms aimed at improving training conditions, wellbeing and long-term workforce sustainability within NHS Wales. The BMA says the deal also supports progress towards pay restoration, which remains a central issue for doctors.

Key changes include new safeguards to limit the most fatiguing working patterns, measures intended to address medical unemployment and career progression concerns, and reforms to study budgets and study leave to improve access to training opportunities.

Negotiations between the BMA’s Welsh Resident Doctors Committee, NHS Wales Employers and the Welsh Government concluded earlier this year. Following a consultation period, a referendum of resident doctors and final-year medical students in Wales was held, resulting in a clear majority in favour of the proposals.

Welsh Resident Doctors Committee chair Dr Oba Babs Osibodu said the agreement marked a significant step forward for doctors working in Wales.

He said: “We’re proud to have negotiated this contract, which offers our colleagues and the future generation of doctors safer terms of service, fairer pay, and better prospects so that they can grow and develop their careers in Wales.

“This contract will help to retain the doctors already in training, and also attract more doctors to work in Wales, where they can offer their expertise and benefit patients.”

Dr Osibodu added that the BMA remains committed to achieving full pay restoration and acknowledged that challenges remain for some doctors.

“Whilst this contract sets the foundations for a brighter future for resident doctors in Wales, we recognise that there are still doctors who are struggling to develop their careers and secure permanent work,” he said. “We need to work with the Welsh Government and NHS employers to address training bottlenecks and underemployment.”

The Welsh Government has previously said it recognises the pressures facing resident doctors and the importance of improving recruitment and retention across NHS Wales, while also highlighting the need to balance pay agreements with wider NHS funding pressures and patient demand.

The new contract is expected to be phased in from August 2026. It will initially apply to doctors in foundation programmes, those in specialty training with unbanded rotas, and new starters, before being rolled out to all resident doctors across Wales.

Crime

Swansea man jailed for online child sex offence dies in prison

Published

12 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man who was jailed earlier this year for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child has died while in custody.

Gareth Davies, aged 59, of the Maritime Quarter, was serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted in May of sending sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The account was in fact a decoy used as part of an online safeguarding operation.

The court heard that Davies began communicating with the decoy between November and December 2024 and persistently pursued the individual, later attempting to arrange a face-to-face meeting. He was arrested after being confronted by the decoy operators.

Davies had pleaded not guilty but was convicted following a trial. At the time of sentencing, police described the messages as extremely concerning and said his imprisonment was necessary to protect children.

It has now been confirmed that Davies died at HMP Parc on Wednesday (Nov 27) while serving his sentence.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the death, which is standard procedure in all cases where someone dies in custody. No cause of death has been released at this stage.

A coroner will determine the circumstances in due course.