Health

Man dies following nine-hour wait for ambulance in Pembroke Dock

Published

5 months ago

September 15, 2024

A PEMBROKESHIRE man tragically died after suffering a cardiac arrest during a gruelling nine-hour wait for an ambulance. David Bye, of Hill Farm Park, Pembroke Dock, passed away in the early hours of Monday, 1st July.

His wife Pauline, in the picture with her late husband above, has described the extensive delay as “unforgivable.” The Welsh Ambulance Service revealed that on the morning Mr. Bye died, ambulances across the Hywel Dda University Health Board region spent more than 250 hours waiting outside hospitals to offload patients. This region includes Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and Ceredigion.

Recalling the distressing events of that night, Mrs. Bye stated, “Nine hours after falling off the bed and us calling for an ambulance someone finally came, but it was too late, and David died.” David had a long history of heart disease and lymphoedema following a triple bypass and aortic valve replacement four years ago, frequently requiring care at Withybush Hospital.

***Welsh Ambulance Service: “This is not the standard of service we want to provide” (Pic: Herald)***

“I became very worried about David’s condition,” Mrs. Bye continued. “I rang 999 at 6pm for an ambulance but was told none were available. I rang again at midnight and was told there were still no ambulances available and to try and make David as comfortable as possible. By that point, David was still talking to me but was very confused, a worrying sign of a possible cardiac arrest.”

Despite making her husband as comfortable as possible, Mrs. Bye grew increasingly concerned. “He complained of back pain but had no other injuries. His breathing was okay, though he was clearly confused and his responses were delayed. I couldn’t lift him as he weighed 17 stone, and there were no neighbours to help me.”

As Mr. Bye’s condition worsened, Mrs. Bye made a third call to emergency services. “He slowly deteriorated, became more sleepy and stopped talking to me,” she said. “I called ambulance control again at 3.15am and the answer was the same—no ambulances available. While I was on the phone, David had a cardiac arrest. Then it all kicked off. The rapid response team arrived within minutes, followed by more responders, two fire engines, and an ambulance.”

***Ambulances wait to offload patients at Withybush General Hospital (Pic: Herald)***

Mrs. Bye praised the efforts of the emergency services who tried to save her husband but felt compelled to speak out about the prolonged wait. “I’m very angry about it,” she said. “I don’t like to make a fuss, but this has been a horrible experience and a huge shock. We know we live in a rural location and understand ambulances might take a little longer. I might have been able to understand a couple of hours, but to take nine hours just seems unforgivable to me—especially when as soon as he began to die, they arrived very quickly.”

The Welsh Ambulance Service cited wider systemic issues as a contributing factor to the delays. On the night and morning in question, ambulances in the region spent a total of 250 hours waiting to transfer patients into hospitals. Liam Williams, executive director of quality and nursing at the Welsh Ambulance Service, acknowledged the delay, saying, “Regrettably, poor ambulance response times are well documented and unfortunately a symptom of much broader system-wide pressures, including hospital handover delays, which impact our ability to reach patients quickly.”

He also mentioned that in July, the average response time to immediately life-threatening red calls was over eight minutes, an increase compared to pre-pandemic times when the median response ranged between four and six minutes.

Mr Williams added said: “On behalf of everyone at the Welsh Ambulance Service I would like to extend my condolences to the family of Mr Bye on their sad loss.

“This is not the standard of service we want to provide and we recognise that this is not what the public rightly expects of us.

“As a result we continue to work with health board colleagues to find local solutions to the challenges faced and we are also looking at evolving our current service model further.

“As part of this we will increase the involvement of paramedics and nurses in our clinical contact centres when patients call to help ensure that patients like Mr Bye get help quicker. I would like to invite a representative of Mr Bye to contact the trust’s Putting Things Right team so we can investigate the incident fully and offer a comprehensive response to them.

“I would once again like to extend condolences on behalf of the trust to Mr Bye’s family at this very difficult time.”

Health

Hywel Dda Health Board announces Community Vaccination Centres

Published

2 days ago

January 28, 2025

Tom Sinclair

HYWEL Dda University Health Board is organizing pop-up community vaccine centres to make it easier for eligible individuals to access their flu and COVID-19 vaccines.

To check your eligibility for the flu and/or COVID-19 vaccine:

Visit: phw.nhs.wales
Contact the health board: 0300 303 8322 (Option 1)
Email: [email protected]

If you are eligible, you can either drop in at one of the centres listed below or book an appointment using the details above.

New clinics are being arranged for February. Stay updated by visiting the health board’s webpage:
Seasonal Flu Vaccinations

Vaccination Centres and Schedules

Carmarthenshire

Carmarthen Athletic RFC
Athletic Park, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3QY

Monday, January 27: 9:30am–4:45pm
Tuesday, January 28: 9:30am–4:45pm
Wednesday, January 29: 9:30am–4:45pm
Thursday, January 30: 9:30am–4:45pm

Llandeilo Fawr Civic Hall
17 Crescent Road, Llandeilo, SA19 6HW

Friday, January 31: 10:00am–4:45pm

Pontyberem Memorial Hall
Coalbrook Road, Pontyberem, Llanelli, SA15 5HU

Tuesday, February 4: 9:30am–4:30pm

Llandovery RFC
Church Bank Playing Fields, Llandovery, SA20 0BA

Thursday, February 6: 10:00am–4:30pm
Friday, February 7: 10:00am–4:30pm

Ceredigion

Tregaron Memorial Hall
The Square, Tregaron, SY25 6JL

Monday, January 27: 10:00am–4:30pm

New Quay Memorial Hall
Ffordd Towyn Road, New Quay, SA45 9QQ

Tuesday, January 28: 9:30am–4:45pm
Wednesday, January 29: 9:30am–4:45pm

The Pwerdy-Powerhouse Community Arts Centre
Chapel Street, Pont Tyweli, Llandysul, SA44 4AH

Tuesday, February 4: 10:00am–4:45pm
Wednesday, February 5: 10:00am–4:45pm

Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire Archives
Prendergast, Haverfordwest, SA61 2PE

Tuesday, January 28: 9:30am–4:50pm

Regency Hall
King George V Playing Fields, Milford Street, Saundersfoot, SA69 9NG

Friday, January 31: 9:30am–4:45pm

Neyland MVC
Unit 1, Honeyborough Retail Park, SA73 1SE

Monday, February 3: 9:30am–4:45pm
Wednesday, February 5: 9:30am–4:45pm

Llwyngwair Manor
Newport, Pembrokeshire, SA42 0LX

Thursday, February 6: 10:00am–4:30pm

Bloomfield House
Redstone Road, Narberth, SA67 7ES

Friday, February 7: 10:00am–4:45pm

Health

RCN demands urgent action and transparency on corridor care in Wales

Published

2 days ago

January 28, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE RCN today issued a strong call to action to the Welsh government, urging them to take decisive steps to eradicate corridor care – a practice that is unsafe, undignified, and unsustainable. The most vulnerable in society, including many older people, bear the brunt of corridor care –where patients are treated in hallways and other inappropriate settings due to bed shortages.

Corridor care compromises patient safety and dignity by delaying timely treatment, reducing privacy, and increasing anxiety and stress. For the nursing workforce, it worsens workloads, contributes to burnout, and undermines their ability to provide quality care.

In open letters to the Welsh Government, NHS Wales, key watchdogs and advocates, the RCN has called for action on eight steps to end corridor care in Wales. The RCN’s eight recommendations include protecting patient safety and supporting the nursing profession by declaring care in chairs for over 24 hours a “never event” and fostering a culture where nursing staff can raise safety concerns without fear. Key steps include increase weekend staffing that can enable timely discharges, restoring District Nurse numbers to 2010 levels, and investing in social care to ensure patients can transition from hospitals to appropriate care settings promptly.

Additionally, the Government must pause hospital bed reductions and review capacity to ensure adequate care in both community and hospital settings. Investing in the nursing workforce and fully implementing the Six Goals for Urgent and Emergency Care programme is critical. NHS Wales must be empowered to divert patients to neighbouring services when necessary, easing pressure on overstretched facilities and improving outcomes.

Helen Whyley, Executive Director of RCN Wales, said: “Nurses are facing immense challenges in maintaining high standards of patient care amidst the growing prevalence of corridor and chair care in hospitals. The RCN’s recent report starkly highlights the stories of nurses who are striving to provide quality care in these difficult conditions. Despite the lack of proper facilities and the strain of overcrowded hospitals, nurses continue to demonstrate remarkable dedication and resilience. They often work long hours under intense pressure, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care even when resources are stretched thin.”

“Our recommendations provide a clear and achievable roadmap to ensure patients receive care in the right place, at the right time, and by the right professional. The nursing workforce is ready to lead the way – but we need the Welsh government to act now.”

The RCN is calling on the Welsh Government to engage all health care stakeholders, listen to the expertise of the nursing workforce, and prioritise patient safety above all else. The time to end corridor care is now.

Health

Leading pharmacies demand tougher regulation on online sale of weight-loss jabs

Published

3 days ago

January 27, 2025

Tom Sinclair

PHARMACIES are calling for stricter regulation of online sales of weight-loss injections, warning of risks to patient safety amid predictions of a surge in demand this year.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA), representing independent community pharmacies, has urged the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to require more thorough consultations with patients before dispensing weight-loss injections and other high-risk medications online.

The NPA cautioned that existing regulations allow medicines to be supplied without adequate consultation or access to patient records, leaving patients vulnerable. They called for a mandatory two-way consultation process to ensure prescribers have a full understanding of patients’ medical histories before issuing such treatments.

Greater safeguards needed

Responding to draft GPhC guidelines, the NPA criticised the proposed safeguards, stating they “still leave the door open for medicines to be prescribed and supplied without appropriate two-way patient consultation or access to a full clinical picture, particularly with high-risk medicines.”

The association recommended prescribers engage in direct dialogue with patients—either in person or via telephone—before offering weight-loss medications such as Mounjaro injections. The NPA also stressed the importance of obtaining comprehensive medical histories, rather than relying solely on online questionnaires.

Nick Kaye, Chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said:
“Obesity is one of the biggest challenges facing our country, and pharmacies want to play their part in helping patients achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
“Weight-loss injections can be effective when prescribed as part of a carefully managed programme, but the current regulations allow some patients to access these medications inappropriately, without proper consultation or examination of medical records.”

Addressing rising demand

The call for tighter regulations comes as demand for weight-loss treatments is expected to rise, with the government planning to expand the rollout of such medications. Many pharmacies already dispense weight-loss treatments or include them in private weight-loss programmes, emphasising a need for best practices to prioritise patient safety.

The NPA highlighted cases of patients who had been inappropriately prescribed weight-loss injections, including individuals with eating disorders or those with body mass indexes (BMI) outside the licensed range. Such cases increase the risk of severe adverse effects.

Kaye added:
“Medicines are not like ordinary goods for sale; they must be handled with great care because they have the power to harm as well as to heal. We urge the GPhC to make a full consultation compulsory for high-risk medicines and ensure supply is prioritised for those with the greatest clinical need, including those with type 2 diabetes.”

Warning against unregulated sellers

The NPA and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have also warned against purchasing weight-loss injections from unregulated sources, such as beauty salons or social media platforms. Counterfeit medications from these suppliers pose significant health risks.

The NPA advised patients to consult a pharmacist if they are unsure about weight-loss treatments, ensuring they receive safe and effective care as part of a programme to achieve sustainable lifestyle changes.