50% jump from March as Health Board says charges must increase to maintain “high-quality care”

WITHYBUSH HOSPITAL staff with young children have raised concerns over a steep rise in crèche fees which they say could leave some parents questioning whether it is worth staying in work.

Hywel Dda University Health Board has confirmed the hourly rate at the Withybush Crèche will increase from £4.50 per hour to £6.50 per hour from March 2026.

Parents told The Herald the increase will hit families with children under three particularly hard, as they do not qualify for the same level of childcare support available to older children.

One parent of a two-year-old said the change could add around £450 a month for parents using the service five days a week, warning that once childcare is taken into account, their partner — who works in an administrative role at the hospital — would effectively be “working for £20 a day”.

In a statement, Andrew Carruthers, Chief Operating Officer at Hywel Dda University Health Board said: “From March 2026, we will need to increase the hourly rate for our childcare fees at Withybush Crèche from £4.50 per hour to £6.50 per hour, which is broadly in line with other local service providers. Our fees have remained the same for several years, but to continue to provide the high-quality care children attending our crèche deserve, we now need to make this adjustment.

“This decision has not been taken lightly and follows a rigorous review into how we could offer best value for money for parents using the service.

“We have sent letters to parents explaining the changes and are inviting parents who have any questions or would like to talk this through to get in touch with us.”

Health board paper recommends moving 4,350 patients to nearby surgeries from 30 June 2026 as staffing and building pressures continue.

HYWEL DDA HEALTH BOARD is set to consider the future delivery of GP services for patients registered at Meddygfa’r Sarn, Pontyates, at a public Board meeting on Thursday, January 29.

A paper due to be discussed recommends a managed dispersal of the practice list to neighbouring surgeries from June 30, 2026, with patients transferred to another practice closest to their home address.

Meddygfa’r Sarn has been health board managed since 2017, after the former GP partners resigned the practice’s General Medical Services (GMS) contract. Since then, Hywel Dda has been responsible for services for a registered population of around 4,350 patients.

The health board says the practice has faced ongoing staffing difficulties and currently has no permanently employed doctors. It also describes the building as small, with limited facilities.

In October 2025, the board convened a Vacant Practice Panel in line with national guidance to review long-term options for GP provision in the area, considering patient access, workforce sustainability, premises, quality of care and financial issues.

The panel concluded that a managed dispersal offered the most sustainable long-term solution for patients and primary care services in the Amman Gwendraeth area.

If approved, patients would be transferred to nearby practices including Coalbrook Surgery (Pontyberem) and Meddygfa Minafon (Kidwelly), with a smaller number moving to practices in Llanelli.

Andrew Carruthers, Hywel Dda’s Chief Operating Officer, said the health board has a duty to ensure GP services are safe, sustainable and high quality, adding that Meddygfa’r Sarn has struggled to provide the level of continuity of care the board would like.

He said that if the recommendation is approved, the health board would engage with patients, staff, local communities and stakeholders before any changes are implemented.

The Board meeting will take place at 9.30am on Thursday, January 29, at Ceredigion County Council Chambers, Aberaeron, and will be streamed live online.

WELSH NHS Confederation says planned care is improving but calls for prevention, sustainable social care funding and investment in estates and equipment

NHS leaders in Wales have welcomed major progress in cutting waiting lists, including what they said was a record monthly reduction, but warned improvements could stall without longer term reform and investment.

New data for November show there were just under 757,900 referral to treatment patient pathways waiting to start treatment, a fall of around 23,400 compared with October and about 44,000 fewer than the same time last year.

The figures also show just over 38,100 pathways waiting longer than one year for a first outpatient appointment, down on the previous month and 62.9% lower than the peak in August 2022. It is the lowest figure since October 2020.

For the longest waits, the number of pathways waiting more than two years fell to just under 6,900, down 90.2% from the peak, a month on month reduction of 450, and 17,500 fewer than the same month last year.

The update also included emergency care activity, with just under 87,700 attendances recorded across all emergency departments in December, an average of 2,828 per day. That was 159 fewer attendances per day than the previous month and similar to last December.

Responding to the activity and performance statistics for November and December, Nesta Lloyd-Jones, assistant director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said it was very positive to see progress across planned care in Wales.

She said November saw the biggest monthly waiting list reduction on record, with December expected to show further cuts, and added that while not every performance area improved month to month, many measures were ahead of where they were a year ago.

Ms Lloyd-Jones also pointed to improvements in ambulance handover delays over the last year, which she said reflected a focus by the NHS and local authorities on improving patient flow, leading to faster care and better outcomes for patients.

However, she warned the NHS could not rely on unplanned targeted funding alone and said a wider shift was needed, including a stronger focus on prevention, a sustainable plan for social care and a rethink on capital investment, to ensure progress is maintained.