News
‘One complaint’ claims CHC

Surprised by the report: Tony
Wales
ON THURSDAY (Jan 8), the Community Health Council reported it had received only one complaint about the transfer of maternity and children’s services to Carmarthen. Responding to the report former Chair of the Community Health Council (CHC), Tony Wales said: “I was extremely surprised to learn from the Pembrokeshire CHC meeting today that the CHC have only received ONE complaint, to date, regarding the transfer of women’s and children’s services to Carmarthen.”
He continued: “Am I to assume that most of what I read on the SWAT Facebook pages are in fact either not true or just highly exaggerated by people who post their accounts of their problem? “If I was a member of the Ministers panel who was tasked to review the impact of service change I would have no alternative but to report back to the Minister that there is no credible evidence to support that there has been any adverse impact on Parents and their children.”
Mr Wales comment on social media generated a number of responses which suggested that there is considerable confusion about the entirely separate roles of the Health Board and the Community Health Council, which is independent of it.
What is a Community Health Council ?
The Community Health Council (CHC) is made up of 36 members appointed by local councils, the Welsh Government and the voluntary sector. It is separate from and independent to the Health Board. The CHC acts as a monitor on the services provided by the Health Board and to provide advocacy services and support for those who wish to complain about health services.
In addition to these roles it seeks the community’s views on its health service, inspects premises, and provides information about local health services. When the Welsh Government looks to find out how many complaints exist about the local health service, provided by the Health Board, it will normally consult with the CHC to establish what complaints have been made and to which element of service provision they relate. The CHC asks that patients: “Tell us about your experiences of the health service, good or bad.
You may feel that you have not received the quality of service expected and feel upset about what has happened and want an explanation or make a complaint. “Whether it’s any of these or some other matter to do with health service provision, please let us know – that’s what we’re here for.”
What about social media ?
Complaints made on social media will not be taken into account by the Welsh Government or the Board. Only complaints made through the Community Health Council will be acted upon. The CHC will not conduct or handle litigation, only complaints about service. Comments on Facebook have suggested that the CHC should simply cut and paste records of complaints made on various patient pages and record them as formal complaints.
It cannot do this. It is up to individuals to make complaints to the CHC themselves. If individuals want to complain, they should communicate with the CHC. The CHC’s advocacy service is free of charge and provides an independent client-led advocacy service to those who wish to complain about care or treatment received from the NHS.
Watering down
The Welsh Government is known to be frustrated by some Community Health Councils for standing in the way of its drive to cut and merge NHS services across Wales. The former chair of the local CHC, Tony Wales, was threatened with libel action for questioning the conduct of the Health Board’s consultation before it proceeded with its planned service cuts in Pembrokeshire.
CHC’s elsewhere in Wales were also urged to water down their objections to plans to centralise health services. The Welsh Government now plans to seize control of the CHC’s by putting one of its own placements in post as the head of the national body for Community Health Councils. As we have previously reported, the current Chief of the local CHC, Ashley Warlow, is stepping down at the end of this month. No replacement for Mr Warlow has been sought or appointed at this stage, despite him providing his notice in October 2014.
If you have a complaint
Lyn Neville from Pembrokeshire Cancer Support contacted us after hearing the CHC’s report of a single complaint. He told us: “It is very important that if you have a problem you report it to the Pembrokeshire Community Health Council who are the public’s Health Service Watchdog.
“The Welsh Assembly have a duty to review service changes and if problems are not fully reported it will appear that there are no issues and everything is fine. “We all know this is not the case. The Health Board will ignore stories in the Press and on Facebook etc but they cannot ignore your ‘official’ complaints.”
He continued: “So, please – if you have had, are having, or have in the future – a negative experience involving Maternity or Paediatric care you must tell the Community Health Council. “You can Telephone, e-mail or write to them. This can be done anonymously if you prefer not to give your name.” The contact details are – Telephone – 01646 697610 (when told Press “1” for the Pembrokeshire Branch of CHC).
Email – [email protected]. uk Write to – Pembrokeshire Community Health Council, Suite 1, Cedar Court, Haven’s Head, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, SA73 3LS Contact the Advocacy Service Phone: 01267 236326; Email: HDDComplaints. [email protected] Lyn concluded by asking: “Please do this as it could save a life and make a huge difference to our services at our Hospital.”
Charity
Tenby golf captain raises more than £8,000 for hospice charity
Fundraising year inspired by personal experience of end-of-life care
TENBY GOLF CLUB has announced that £8,360.68 has been raised for the Paul Sartori Foundation after a year of fundraising led by club captain Heather Morgan.
Heather’s captaincy was particularly notable as she is only the second female captain in the club’s history since it was founded in 1888. Her choice of charity was inspired by personal experience, following the care and support provided to her mother by the hospice-at-home charity.
Her mother, who lived to the age of 97, was able to remain at home during her final days thanks to the support of Paul Sartori’s clinical team.
Heather said she could not have managed without the compassion and professionalism of the staff, who supported both her mother and the wider family during a difficult time. She therefore chose the charity not only to raise funds, but also to increase awareness of the services available to families across Pembrokeshire.
The fundraising year included a packed programme of well-supported events, including a charity golf day, Captain’s Day, and a popular night golf competition. Members and guests also supported quiz nights with themed food, a special performance by Tenby Male Voice Choir, as well as Easter and Christmas raffles.
Joanne Lutwyche, Events and Fundraising Officer for the Paul Sartori Foundation, said: “Becoming a charity of the year is a great privilege for us, and we always aim to support our community fundraisers as much as possible during the time we are chosen.
“Our fundraising and events team have been astonished by the generosity of the golfers throughout the year. We have been invited to support events at Tenby Golf Club, and they have been great fun to be part of.”
The charity has thanked Heather Morgan, Tenby Golf Club, and everyone who contributed to the fundraising efforts, saying the money will help provide hospice-at-home care for people living with life-limiting illness across Pembrokeshire.
The funds raised will enable more families to receive care and comfort in their own homes at the most difficult times.
Photo caption: Heather Morgan with Brendan Monnelly, General Manager at Tenby Golf Club (Pic supplied).
News
New project launched to preserve Pembrokeshire’s hidden place names
Communities invited to share historic names of fields, lanes and landmarks
A NEW project has been launched to uncover and protect historic place names across the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park — from forgotten fields to little-known lanes — before they disappear from living memory.
The initiative, led by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority in partnership with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), will gather local knowledge from communities throughout the Park and record it in the national List of Historic Place Names for Wales.
A series of community workshops will take place during 2026, giving residents the opportunity to share names passed down through generations, including those linked to fields, footpaths, buildings and local landmarks.
All information collected will be compiled by Dr James January-McCann, Place Names Officer at the RCAHMW, and formally recorded to help safeguard this cultural heritage for future generations.
Pembrokeshire’s landscape reflects a rich linguistic history shaped by Welsh, English, Nordic and Flemish influences. Organisers say capturing this knowledge now is vital, not only to preserve local identity but also to support landowners, communities and the National Park Authority in future land management and heritage projects.
Tomos Jones, Community Archaeologist at the Park Authority, said: “This is a fantastic project that empowers local communities to come forward with their place names knowledge. The information can then better inform our understanding of the National Park area and help us develop relevant projects.”
Dr James January-McCann added: “Given Pembrokeshire’s rich linguistic history, this is a brilliant opportunity to discover how strong those influences remain today, and to deepen people’s knowledge of their heritage.”
With the National Eisteddfod taking place in Pembrokeshire this year, the project will also use the festival as a platform to reach a wider audience, including a dedicated talk supported by the Eisteddfod team.
Six community workshops are currently scheduled for 2026, with the ambition to expand the programme in future years.
The first workshop will take place at St Davids City Hall on Wednesday (Feb 18), with members of the public invited to drop in at any time between 10:00am and 4:00pm to share information or speak with the project team. Further sessions will be promoted locally and through social media.
Caption: A series of place name workshops will be held to capture the rich linguistic heritage of the local area.
Crime
Pembroke Dock raids: One man in court today as three released on bail
Update follows major Gordon Street operation reported on Friday
ONE man is due to appear in court today (Monday, Feb 16) following last week’s armed police operation in Pembroke Dock, as officers confirmed that three other suspects have been released on bail.
The Herald reported on Friday (Feb 13) that firearms officers, dog units and multiple police vehicles were deployed to Gordon Street during a pre-planned operation involving several specialist departments.
Dyfed-Powys Police has now provided an update on the outcome of the raids.
Two men, aged 37 and 35, and a woman aged 32 — all arrested during Friday’s operation — have been released on bail pending further enquiries.
A fourth suspect, a 28-year-old man arrested for failing to appear in court, has been recalled to prison.
Officers also confirmed that a fifth person was arrested the following day, Saturday (Feb 14).
Zack High, aged 26, has since been charged with grievous bodily harm and is due to appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court today.
During the initial operation, police said arrests were made for a range of suspected offences including grievous bodily harm, firearms possession, drugs supply, fraud, and possession of a bladed article.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Hughes, of Pembrokeshire CID, previously thanked the community for its patience during the large police deployment and said the action demonstrated that officers would “deal with offenders robustly and efficiently”.
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