Paul Sartori Hospice at Home is celebrating a major support package from The James Tudor Foundation thanks to an unrestricted grant to help fund the charity’s vital end-of-life care services throughout the county. 

The £46,364 grant award ill be paid over three years.

Commenting on the windfall, the new Chief Executive Officer, Laura Hugman, said, “At a time where funding and funding partnerships are challenging, we’re very grateful to The James Tudor Foundation in helping us achieve our aims and passion for supporting and bringing reassurance to the local families who need us.” 

Paul Sartori Hospice at Home provides an holistic approach to end-of-life care, which encompasses home nursing, equipment loan, complementary therapies, bereavement and counselling support, physiotherapy, future care planning, and training. The team provides thousands of hours of day and night respite care each year, ensuring that patients can receive the support they need, complementing the statutory provision within the comfort of their own homes.

Judith Williams, Grant Development Officer at Paul Sartori Hospice at Home, expressed the charity’s gratitude: “We’re incredibly thankful to The James Tudor Foundation for their continued generosity. Their support helps us maintain our nursing service, which is a lifeline for many families facing end-of-life care challenges.”

Paul Sartori Hospice at Home offers a comprehensive range of services to individuals with life-limiting illnesses, ensuring they can be cared for at home with dignity, independence, and comfort.

Health board accused of misleading claims over recruitment as pressure mounts ahead of final decision

A FREEDOM of Information disclosure has raised serious questions over plans to close Meddygfa’r Sarn in Pontyates, with claims the health board failed to properly attempt to recruit permanent doctors before recommending its shutdown.

The row centres on Hywel Dda University Health Board, which is due to make a final decision on the surgery’s future later this month.

An FOI response reveals that while the board cited a “lack of recruitment interest” in its January report, there is limited evidence of any recent, targeted recruitment campaign specifically aimed at the Pontyates practice.

Instead, the board confirmed that salaried GP roles were advertised in 2020 across its wider portfolio of managed practices — rather than as a focused effort to fill posts at Meddygfa’r Sarn itself. Those vacancies did not result in successful appointments.

‘No real attempt’

Independent Senedd candidate Carl Peters-Bond, who is also a patient at the surgery, has strongly criticised the health board, accusing it of presenting a misleading picture to justify closure.

He said: “They cited a lack of recruitment interest as justification for closing this surgery — but they never actually ran a proper recruitment campaign for it.

“Sending out general adverts years ago is not the same as making a serious, targeted effort to keep a vital community service alive.”

He also raised concerns about the consultation process, claiming it focused on the impact of closure rather than asking whether closure should happen at all.

Fully reliant on locums

The FOI confirms that Meddygfa’r Sarn currently has no salaried GPs and is entirely dependent on locum doctors.

While the health board says this model is unsustainable in the long term, the same disclosure shows several other managed practices across the region also rely heavily on locum staff — some to a significant degree.

Cost data included in the response suggests Meddygfa’r Sarn is not the most expensive practice per patient within the health board’s area.

Alternative options unclear

Another key issue raised by campaigners is the apparent lack of explored alternatives.

The FOI response indicates that the health board does not hold information on alternative local solutions, including potential relocation or different service models within the Pontyates area.

Campaigners argue this suggests closure was considered before all options had been properly examined.

A 52-page independent report submitted as part of the consultation process states that dispersing patients to other surgeries should only be considered as a last resort, after full recruitment efforts and capacity assessments have been carried out.

Health board position

Hywel Dda University Health Board maintains that the surgery, which serves around 4,350 patients, has faced long-standing recruitment difficulties and increasing reliance on temporary staff.

It says a Vacant Practice Panel concluded that dispersing patients to neighbouring surgeries would provide a more sustainable long-term solution.

The board has also acknowledged that transport and access concerns are likely to be a major issue for patients if the closure goes ahead, with a full Equality Impact Assessment expected to be considered before a final decision.

Decision later this month

The future of Meddygfa’r Sarn will be decided at a meeting of Hywel Dda University Health Board on Wednesday (May 28) at Yr Egin in Carmarthen.

With local anger growing and new questions emerging from the FOI disclosure, pressure is mounting on board members to reconsider the proposal.

Campaigners say the case now hinges on a simple question: whether enough was done to save the surgery before moving to close it.

DENTISTS FROM ANTALYA TO VISIT COUNTY TOWN

A TURKISH dental clinic is running a dental meet-up in Haverfordwest this weekend as part of a promotional visit to Wales.

Unique Smile Turkey, which has a permanent office in Wales in Swansea, says its top dentists will be coming to Haverfordwest on Sunday (May 3).

The event is being advertised as a “Dental Meet-Up” and is scheduled to run from 10:00am to 6:00pm at the Mariners Hotel.

The visit features three clinicians: Assoc Prof Dr Ummuhan Tozoglu, described as a specialist in oral diagnosis, radiology and dental planning; Professor Dr Sinan Tozoglu, described as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and implantologist; and Professor Dr Ismet Duran, described as a periodontologist and implantologist.

The team have between twenty and 35 years of experience in their respective fields.

A contact number has also been provided for enquiries: +90 505 678 90 90.

The visit comes amid continuing interest in dental tourism, with many people in the UK looking overseas for cosmetic dentistry, implants and other private dental treatment.

Turkey has become one of the most popular destinations for such treatment, although patients are generally urged to make careful checks before committing to any procedure abroad, including aftercare arrangements, qualifications, insurance, treatment plans and what support would be available if complications arise after returning home.