News

‘Fog of confusion’ about Withybush Plans

Published

12 years ago

November 27, 2013

UNCERTAINTY CONTINUES to dog the future of maternity, paediatric and specialist baby care at Withybush General Hospital, Haverfordwest.

Speaking to The Pembrokeshire Herald, Stephen Crabb, the MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, said:

“In recent weeks the fog of confusion around the future of vital services at Withybush has got worse, with neither the Hywel Dda Health Board nor the Welsh Health Minister being willing or able to come clean on their true intentions. The Pembrokeshire rumour mill is in overdrive about changes at Withybush and the local community is rightly concerned and angry. This is the biggest issue facing our County and it is time for Welsh Government in Cardiff to hold the Health Board to account and provide certainty and assurance.”

As The Pembrokeshire Herald revealed last week, staff have already been consulted about a planned shift of services from Withybush to West Wales General Hospital, Glangwili. BBC news picked up the story this week and confirmed with Hywel Dda Local Health Board that talks were taking place with hospital staff.

Campaign groups set up

SEVERAL campaigning groups have been set up on Facebook to fight the closures and a public meeting is to be held at The Picton Centre in Haverfordwest this evening (Thursday, November 21) with a view to setting up a fighting fund to resist any closures or relocation of maternity and paediatric services.

The number of people who have joined the on-line campaign groups at the time this article goes to press is just under 20,000.

In January 2013, Pembrokeshire’s Best Magazine revealed that out of 1,567 responses to the ORS consultation on the Health Board’s plans for Withybush, only 9% of respondents in Pembrokeshire (150 people) favoured the Board’s proposal to close SCBU and transfer all care for high dependence neonates, complex ante-natal and perinatal care out of the County to Glangwili. In spite of the level of opposition shown to their plans, the Local Health Board’s decision announced on January 15 was to proceed with its plans, but to retain some paediatric and obstetric services at Withybush “subject to recruiting staff”.

Speaking to The Herald last week with reference to the potential loss of services due to loss of birth numbers at Withybush, the a spokeswoman from the Hywel Dda Health Board said:

“We are at significant risk of losing training posts if we cannot find solutions. Services may become too fragile unless we plan for the future.

“The neonatal element was referred to Welsh Government and the Health Board was requested to provide further details on our models for gynaecology and obstetrics which is being addressed by this ongoing planning work.”

Further criticism of LHB

THE HEALTH BOARD has been separately criticised by Ceredigion AM for delays in recruitment:

“I have been made increasingly aware of recruitment delays across the Hywel Dda region. In some cases such as recently at Ysbyty Bronglais I’m told of instances where six months after the employment process began, nurses have still not been able to take up new posts.

“Delays in appointing key staff members undermine the vital services offered by the Health Board, increase waiting times, erode public confidence and make it even harder to recruit staff in the future.

“The Welsh Government must work closely with the Local Health Boards across Wales to ensure the process is expedited and that residents get the health service they need and deserve.”

AM’s request for scrutiny denied

A REQUEST from local Assembly Member Paul Davies to publicly scrutinise the future of services at Withybush hospital has been denied.

This follows the latest news that overnight paediatric services at the Withybush hospital could be closed. Mr Davies tabled an urgent question to the Welsh Health Minister given the substantial knock-on effect that this closure would have on the hospital’s obstetrics department, A & E department and the Special Care Baby Unit.

Mr Davies said, “This latest news has further escalated concerns in Pembrokeshire that Withybush hospital is signalled for downgrading. Sadly, my request to scrutinise the Health Minister on this has been turned down. Unfortunately, I have repeatedly called for statements from the Welsh Government in relation to Hywel Dda Health Board’s plans, all of which have been denied.”

He added, “This news will once again renew fears over the hospital’s future, and it’s time that the Welsh Government provided certainty and reassurances for west Wales patients. Anything less is unacceptable. Residents will rightly be worried about the potential closure of overnight paediatric services and the effect that it will have on the sustainability of other core services at Withybush. I will of course, keep raising these issues in the Assembly Chamber in the hope that Welsh Labour Ministers will come clean on the future of Withybush hospital as soon as possible.”

Concern from Haverfordwest Town Council

AT THE Haverfordwest Town Council meeting last night councillors discussed the situation regarding Withybush Hospital.

Town Clerk David Williams said “There are serious concerns about what is happening at Withybush Hospital. We don’t know what the proposals are at the moment and the future of the hospital is in the balance.

“Our intentions are to write to the trust and health minister to clarify what the situation is”.

SWAT has suggested that the situation is the thin end of the wedge in relation to other services. A SWAT leaflet sent to The Pembrokeshire Herald claims, amongst other things:Emergency cover for ALL specialities may reduce to 16 hours each day. Date of implementation unknown at present but maybe January 1, 2014. This would mean patients already in hospital would be safe as on call doctors would be on site but with no A&E facility from perhaps midnight people who became ill overnight or have an accident in the community would be taken directly to Glangwili.

SCBU, Paediatrics and Obstetrics will move to Glangwili in March 2014. This means that there will be NO beds to admit children, babies or pregnant women at Withybush except for very low risk mothers to be.

Anyone needing admission will have to be taken to Glangwili.

A&E will be reduced to 12 hours during the day from April 1, 2014. This means that Withybush will not be able to take any emergency patients overnight and they will all have to be taken to Glangwili for assessment and admission if appropriate.

The leaflet calls on people to demonstrate in support of maintaining services at Withybush outside the hospital every Saturday morning at 11:00 am from January 4, 2014. It also asks for support for a potential legal action to prevent the Health Board’s plans from proceeding.

Joyce Watson AM told us: “I totally support the plan for a Level 2 neo-natal unit in the Hywel Dda area, as we do not currently have one. Withybush maternity unit is the crucial missing piece of the puzzle, however. Until Hywel Dda submits its proposal to the Welsh Government we cannot assess the overall plan.

“What is clear is that Withybush must retain a service that can stabilise mother and baby when complications occur. That is absolutely critical – a red line – and I have consistently urged that point in my discussions with both the Health Board and the Government.”

The Local Health Board responds

In response to the BBC News story, the Health Board released a statement saying:

“The health board can confirm that no instruction has been given to book expectant mothers due in March or April into Glangwili Hospital instead of Withybush Hospital. If any mother has any queries about their booking they are advised to speak to their midwife directly.

“The health board was instructed by the Health Minister in September to clarify the delivery model for obstetric and paediatric services that would be provided to support a Level 2 neonatal unit before a final Ministerial decision is made in relation to new born services.

“The health board is committed to openly discussing the current situation with staff and so meetings are taking place at a hospital, county and health board-wide level.

“The ongoing work with our clinical teams is based on clarifying the service model, taking into account the many service inter-dependencies.

“Proposed models will be submitted to Welsh Government in the next few weeks…the health board’s position [is] that members of staff have not been informed of any final decisions as none have been made.”
Chris Overton of SWAT told The Herald

“Last Tuesday morning the midwifery manager told midwives on the wards that from March there would be a midwifery led service at Withybush. At the same time, the Paediatric Manager told staff that SCBU, paediatric services and Ward 9 admissions would all go to Carmarthen, as that was where paediatric trainee doctors would be based.”

The Pembrokeshire Herald asked for a response from the Welsh Government, shortly before we went to press a spokesperson for Health Minister Mark Drakeford told The Herald:

“This is a matter for the Local Health Board and we have no comment to make on it, at this time.Rebecca Evans AM, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales said:

“I am obviously concerned by the recent reports, and am seeking clarity from the Health Board because continued speculation and rumour is unhelpful for both patients and our NHS staff.

“The Health Board is due to submit its detailed proposed models to Welsh Government in the next few weeks, and I would expect that those plans should be clinically robust and developed in close collaboration with clinicians and expert obstetricians. I look forward to scrutinising the plans.

“Patient safety – both for the expectant mother and the baby – has to be the overriding concern.”

Mrs Evans is currently seeking reassurances from the Health Board on a number of matters, including that that there is no truth in the reports that all expectant mothers due to give birth after 1 April are being booked into Glangwili Hospital.

Health

Crumbling NHS faces £1bn repairs bill in Wales

Published

10 hours ago

April 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Senedd election promises collide with the harsh reality of ageing hospitals, fire safety concerns and a maintenance crisis stretching across the country

WALES’ NHS is facing a repair and maintenance crisis of almost £1bn, with some of the country’s biggest hospitals burdened by ageing buildings, serious safety concerns and growing pressure on already stretched budgets.

New figures covering 210 NHS sites show that the backlog of work classed as high risk or significant risk has now reached £917m — up 71% in just four years.

The data, published for 2024-25 by NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, shows more than £616m of the total relates to serious problems at 12 of Wales’ 13 main hospitals.

Ysbyty Gwynedd has the biggest backlog of high and significant risk repairs at £110.5m, followed closely by University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where the figure stands at £106.8m.

The scale of the problem is not just financial. Three hospitals — Bronglais, Prince Philip and Ysbyty Gwynedd — have 40% or more of their space rated as not fire safety compliant. At Ysbyty Gwynedd, 35% of space is also not regarded as health and safety compliant.

Aging estate

The figures highlight the deep-rooted problem of an ageing NHS estate across Wales.

More than 30 NHS sites have buildings where over half the estate predates the creation of the NHS in 1948. Another 17 sites, including University Hospital of Wales and Bronglais Hospital, are mainly made up of buildings between 50 and 60 years old.

Only one major hospital in Wales — the Grange Hospital near Cwmbran — is said to have no maintenance backlog. But even that project, which cost £350m, was first proposed in 2004 and only opened during the Covid pandemic, showing how long major hospital developments can take.

When the wider risk-adjusted backlog is considered across all NHS buildings in Wales, focusing on problems where safety may be at risk, the total cost rises to more than £1bn.

The largest overall figure is in the Betsi Cadwaladr health board area, where the backlog stands at nearly £278m.

Despite the Grange being one of the newest hospitals in Wales, Aneurin Bevan health board still faces a backlog of almost £233m, much of it linked to older sites including the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall hospitals.

In Hywel Dda, where hopes of a new west Wales hospital remain some way off, the total backlog has reached £221m. Among the worst affected sites is Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen, where high and significant risk repairs and maintenance amount to £82m.

West Wales pressure

FOR west Wales, the figures are especially troubling.

Hywel Dda residents have already faced years of uncertainty over the future of hospital services, and the scale of the maintenance bill raises fresh questions about how long ageing buildings can continue to serve local communities safely and effectively.

Bronglais Hospital is among the sites with major fire safety compliance concerns, while Glangwili carries one of the largest repair backlogs in the region.

The growing cost of patching up older hospitals will inevitably intensify the political argument over whether ministers should prioritise maintaining existing buildings or push ahead with long-promised new developments.

The chair of Cardiff and Vale health board recently acknowledged that the age and condition of University Hospital of Wales was affecting morale and efficiency, describing the quality and upkeep of buildings as an ongoing concern.

Expert warning

Mark Dayan, a policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust, said Wales had a worryingly large maintenance backlog by any standard.

He warned that poor infrastructure could directly affect the way care is delivered, making it harder for the NHS to reorganise services, improve patient flow or create safe, modern working environments.

The issue is not unique to Wales. NHS England is facing its own enormous repair backlog, estimated at £16bn. But in Wales, where budgets are tighter and hospital plans often move slowly, the pressure is especially acute.

Election battleground

WITH the Senedd election set for Thursday, May 7, parties are offering different solutions to the growing crisis.

Labour has pledged a £4bn Hospitals of the Future fund, promising new hospitals including replacements for Wrexham Maelor Hospital and University Hospital of Wales, as well as a major development in west Wales.

Plaid Cymru says Labour’s sums do not add up, and argues urgent high-risk repairs should come first.

Reform UK says the Welsh Government should concentrate its capital budget on clearing the maintenance backlog rather than making promises on multiple new hospitals.

The Conservatives say they would declare a health emergency and expand capacity through new community hospitals, diagnostic centres and surgical hubs.

The Liberal Democrats say they would upgrade the worst parts of the NHS estate while backing a replacement for University Hospital of Wales, linking investment to wider reform of social care and community services.

The Green Party has called the backlog a disgrace and says it would launch a multi-year programme to bring NHS facilities up to a safe and modern standard.

Whatever the result in May, the next Welsh Government will inherit a stark reality: before it can deliver a new generation of hospitals, it must first confront the spiralling cost of keeping the current estate from falling further into decline.

Entertainment

That’ll Be the Day celebrates ruby anniversary in style

Published

10 hours ago

April 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A MUCH-LOVED theatrical tradition returned to Folly Farm on Friday and Saturday, October 24 and 25, 2025, as That’ll Be the Day celebrated its ruby anniversary in memorable style, raising £5,469 for The Paul Sartori Foundation.

The charity performances were filled with celebration and significance. Saturday night marked the 40th performance of the show at Folly Farm’s Follies Theatre, staged in the 40th year of That’ll Be the Day itself — a remarkable double milestone that was warmly received by the audience.

The anniversary weekend captured everything people have come to love about the production, from its crowd-pleasing musical numbers and toe-tapping hits to its trademark comedy sketches and strong sense of community.

There was also an emotional note to the occasion, as the weekend was billed as Trevor’s final on-stage performance with the show. Or was it? Although retirement had been suggested, Phil Thompson has since confirmed that Trevor will be back this year — to the delight of fans.

As one chapter closes, another begins, and excitement is already building for the future. That’ll Be the Day will return in 2026, with performances confirmed for October 30 and 31. Tickets are now on sale.

Audiences can expect new voices, a refreshed format, and the same talent and showmanship that Pembrokeshire audiences know and love.

Supporters keen to see the next chapter of this musical extravaganza can buy tickets through the Paul Sartori website, by calling the events team on 01437 763223, or in person at Dale’s Music in Tenby or Rock ‘n’ Rolla in Narberth.

If the ruby anniversary weekend proved anything, it is that That’ll Be the Day continues to shine, shimmy and entertain — all while helping to support hospice-at-home care in Pembrokeshire.

If you want, I can also turn this into a more polished newspaper-style piece with a headline and subheading.

Entertainment

Will You Be My Friend? BBC series seeks Welsh children

Published

11 hours ago

April 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

NEW six-part BBC One programme is looking for five to eight-year-olds across Wales who are finding it hard to make friends

A NEW BBC television series is looking for children across Wales aged between five and eight who are finding it hard to make friends.

Will You Be My Friend? is a new six-part series for BBC One and iPlayer from Five Mile Films, the makers of Channel 4’s The Dog House. The programme will focus on children who are struggling socially, whether through shyness, feeling left out, or finding it difficult to connect with others their own age.

The series will centre on what producers call The Friendship Centre, where a team of psychologists will help children build confidence and social skills to form real and lasting friendships.

Each child will then be sensitively matched with a potential new friend from their local area for a play date. Six weeks later, the programme will return to see how their new-found confidence has helped them at school, in the playground and beyond.

The production team says the series aims to explore the challenge of friendship in modern childhood, at a time when many families remain concerned about loneliness, social confidence, screen time and the lingering effects of the Covid pandemic.

Emma Loach, Interim Head of Commissioning, Documentaries at the BBC, said: “The longing to connect, to be seen, and to belong is universal.

“Whether you’re five or fifty-five, I defy anyone to watch these children without seeing a little bit of themselves reflected.

“In a world that can feel increasingly disconnected, this series shows that the simplest gestures – a smile, a shared joke, a tentative ‘will you be my friend?’ – still have the power to change everything. Five Mile Films has brought us something very special, and we couldn’t be prouder to give it a home on the BBC.”

Nick Mirsky, CEO of Five Mile Films, said: “I don’t think there’s a commission I could be more thrilled to bring to Five Mile. Will You Be My Friend? will be joyful, warm and funny, but it also does something genuinely new – inviting us to look closely at the challenge and art of making friends.”

Filming is due to take place in July and August, and producers are now inviting applications from families in Wales who feel their child could benefit from taking part.

The series is being made by Five Mile Films for BBC One and iPlayer, with All3Media International acting as international partner.

Parents or guardians who would like more information or wish to apply can visit: bemyfriend.tv

Based on the press release and fact sheet you uploaded.