News

What next for Withybush?

Published

12 years ago

December 5, 2013

THURSDAY, November 21 saw a packed Picton Centre host a public meeting regarding the future of Withybush Hospital.

Members of Save Withybush Action Team (SWAT) and the Facebook group Save Essential Services at Withybush and other worried Pembrokeshire residents jammed into the Centre to discuss their concerns about the future of Withybush General Hospital.

Consultant Obstetrician Chris Overton told the meeting:

“I’ve been doing this for nine years: I stood outside Withybush on December 27, 2004 handing out leaflets warning you that they were going to take away your services.

“We’re planning to have demonstrations every Saturday at 11am outside the hospital from January 4 because we want them to know we are still here, we want them to know we still care and we want them to know we’re not going to go away. We want a big event every Saturday all the way through January, February, March – as long as it takes.

He also spoke about the possibilities of what might happen if Withybush was to close and added: “If they close us down, if they transfer services to Glangwilli, If Glangwilli can’t cope there is a scenario where a woman might go into labour and get sent to other hospitals where they might be full.

County councillor speaks

Cllr David Howlett was the only County Councillor to attend the meeting. He said:

“Earlier in the week we tabled an urgent question to the health minister but that had to be agreed by the presiding officer. Unfortunately the presiding officer for the national assembly of Wales declined that, which we thought was terrible.

“The Welsh Conservative group have a 60 minute debate next week (Wednesday 27, 4pm) they’ve chosen the topic of Withybush hospital and the Welsh minister will have to respond and they will give indication of what is going to happen.”

No confidence in Health Board

The meeting was told that a number of services are threatened with closure but nothing has been decided yet. The meeting considered the possible scenarios if services were cut as feared. One member discussed the possibility of going to the Welsh Assembly when they are meeting the health minister to get the best impact and to make the AM’s sit up and take note of what they are doing.

Another member proposed a vote of no confidence in the chief executive and the board of the health authority. This motion was met with applause and was unanimously carried.

Public anger

While many members of the public gave heart-warming stories about their current situations, each highlighting a number of problems that would come to fruition should some services at Withybush close, others at the meeting expressed anger at the Health Board’s plans. Chris Overton told the meeting:

“The Health Board has been told it cannot make any announcements with regards to where services are going. A final decision will be made by the health minister on Tuesday January 21.

“We investigated the possibility of issuing proceedings in January of this year when the Health Board’s plans first became public. We now have a new opportunity because the health minister has made an announcement on September 24 and he’s referred it back to the health board. We must have that judicial review permission request in by December 24.

“There is only one way for the people of Pembrokeshire and that is to demand Withybush stays open as a fully functioning hospital.

“The Health Board senior management have been playing their cards very close to their chest and if it hadn’t been for the local press revealing what they are planning I doubt that we would be having this discussion.

“We all need to consider the safety of the people of Pembrokeshire.

“I have been begging our GPs to contact the Welsh government and the BMA secretary. If you can get your GP behind this campaign, we’ve got a significant chance of success”.

From the floor, it was suggested:

“We could look at when the Welsh Assembly are meeting with the health minister when we’ve got the most impact as many AM’s as possible making sure we have a demonstration in Cardiff when we’ve got the biggest impact towards the AM’s.”

Another member of the public asked:

“Can I point out that Mark Drakeford tweeted on Tuesday to the effect that the Welsh NHS has got to change and Hywel Dda is no exception? That rather suggests it doesn’t matter what we do he’s already made his mind up.”

Threat to tourism

Thinking about Pembrokeshire’s status as a tourist destination, considerable unease was also expressed at the potential loss of services:

“It’s very easy to make decisions which don’t affect you in any way shape or form.

“In the time I’ve been in Pembrokeshire there have been an awful lot of industrial accidents, none of these large industrial accidents produced huge amounts of casualties. The powers that be should realise that with what we have in the Haven, not to mention the thousands of people who come here in the summer, where roads are totally inadequate for that number of people if there is an emergency. We want an A & E service that can cope with accidents on an industrial scale.

“Pembrokeshire relies heavily on tourism. No one is going to come here because, quite simply put, it’s too dangerous to come to Pembrokeshire.”

John Osmond stood in the 2007 election for Plaid Cymru:

“I have a personal experience of how valuable Withybush is as during that campaign I was fishing off the rock at Martins Haven and slipped and dislocated my elbow and I wouldn’t have wanted to go much further than Haverfordwest on that occasion.

“We’re very fortunate in this campaign to have it lead by the consultants. This Mr Purt (the Health Board’s Chief Executive) is a man in a grey suit. A man or a woman in a white suit is worth a hundred men in grey suits.”

The Pembrokeshire Herald invited Hywel Dda LHB to comment on specific issues raised by the meeting and by the leaflet we reported upon last week. A spokesperson from the Health Board said:
“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 neo-natal unit before a final Ministerial decision is made in relation to newborn services.

“The health board continues to discuss potential service models with staff and so meetings are taking place at a hospital, county and health board-wide level.

“We intend to respond to Welsh Government in the next few weeks.

“A&E remains open 24/7 at Withybush Hospital and no decision has been taken to reduce these hours of service.”

“A gap of trust”

Simon Hart MP spoke to The Pembrokeshire Herald:

“I am enormously frustrated by the Local Health Board. It seems to have enormous difficulty communicating with and generating trust among either members of its staff or the Pembrokeshire public.

“Every time an announcement is due it is trailed by rumour and counter-rumour. Months of uncertainty seem to be followed by baffling decisions that are hard to understand.

“I speak often to members of Hywel Dda staff who express their deep personal concerns about the future while the rumour mill does its work

“Staff members are doing a difficult job in impossible circumstances. There is a real gap of trust and it is up to the Health Board to sort that out; it needs to stop being secretive and start being open and transparent, not only with its employees but also with Pembrokeshire.”

News

Recounts concern raised over new Senedd voting system

Published

15 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Political sources warn tiny vote differences could decide final seats under Wales’ new proportional voting system, with fears of inconsistent recount decisions across the country

QUESTIONS have been raised over how recounts will be handled in Wales’ first Senedd election using the new six-member proportional voting system, amid fears that tiny vote differences could decide the final seat in some constituencies.

Under the new arrangements, Wales has been divided into larger multi-member constituencies, with six Senedd Members elected in each area using the D’Hondt system of proportional representation.

Political sources have expressed concern that the current Electoral Commission guidance may not adequately address situations where the allocation of the sixth and final seat could hinge on very small differences in party vote totals.

One political source, who asked not to be named, said the issue was not about the competence or integrity of Returning Officers, but about the lack of detailed public guidance surrounding recount decisions under the new system.

They said: “In some constituencies, the final seat may come down to a very narrow margin once the D’Hondt calculations are applied, even if no party’s overall vote total appears especially close in traditional terms.

“The concern is that there appears to be no clear guidance about how close the contest for the final seat needs to be before a recount is granted.”

The source warned that without clearer guidance there could be inconsistencies across Wales, with recounts potentially being allowed in one constituency but refused in another despite similar margins.

Electoral Commission guidance currently states that Returning Officers must be satisfied vote totals are accurate before producing a provisional result and that candidates and agents are entitled to request recounts.

However, the guidance also makes clear that Returning Officers may refuse recount requests if they consider them “unreasonable”.

The Electoral Commission said the existing rules already provide a framework for openness and transparency during the counting process, with candidates and agents allowed to inspect ballot bundles and challenge provisional results before declarations are made.

The guidance also confirms that more than one recount can take place if Returning Officers believe further recount requests are justified.

But critics argue that Wales is entering untested territory with the new electoral system, where relatively small shifts in vote totals could alter the final seat allocation after D’Hondt calculations are completed.

The Senedd election is the first to use the new system, which replaces the previous arrangement of constituency and regional members with fully proportional six-member constituencies across Wales.

This story was first reported by Nation.Cymru, you can read their report here.

Charity

Chief’s Tour honours fallen officers with 75-mile Pembrokeshire ride

Published

16 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Dyfed-Powys Police team raises thousands for bereaved police families charity

A TEAM of officers and staff from Dyfed-Powys Police cycled 75 miles across west Wales on Wednesday (May 6) in memory of colleagues who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The annual “Chief’s Tour of Pembs 2026” saw participants travel from Fishguard to Carmarthen while raising money for the charity Care of Police Survivors, commonly known as COPS.

The force said the event raised £2,690, with funds going towards support for the families of police officers who have died while serving their communities.

Along the route, cyclists stopped at several locations to meet relatives of fallen officers and take part in moments of reflection.

In a statement shared on social media, the force said the tour was held “in memory of all Dyfed-Powys Police officers who have lost their lives in service.”

The post added: “Those we’ve lost will always remain in our thoughts.”

COPS supports the families of officers who have died on duty by organising national and regional events, helping survivors build support networks and friendships with others who have experienced similar loss.

Dyfed-Powys Police thanked members of the public who supported the cyclists during the challenge.

“A huge thank you to our community for showing our Chief’s Tour cyclists support as they passed through Pembrokeshire,” the force said.

“Your cheers, waves and encouragement kept spirits high for those taking part.”

The 75-mile challenge took riders across parts of north and west Pembrokeshire before continuing east towards Carmarthenshire, combining physical endurance with remembrance and fundraising.

Police charities such as COPS often work quietly behind the scenes, supporting bereaved families long after national attention fades following the death of an officer.

Education

Holocaust survivor’s story shared with pupils at Ysgol Greenhill

Published

16 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Tom Sinclair

MORE than 150 pupils at Ysgol Greenhill have heard the moving Holocaust testimony of the late Zigi Shipper BEM, who survived some of the most terrible events of the Second World War.

The special visit took place on Tuesday (May 5), when Mrs Lu Lawrence came to the school to speak about the life of her father.

Zigi Shipper survived the Lodz ghetto, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Stutthof concentration camp and a death march, among other traumatic events. When he was liberated by British forces, he was just 15 years old.

Mrs Lawrence spoke to Key Stage 3 and GCSE pupils, sharing not only her father’s testimony but also her own family’s story.

Ysgol Greenhill said more than 150 students attended the session and were “exceptionally well behaved”, asking thoughtful questions during the visit.

The school said: “In the current climate of increasing anti-Semitism, understanding the dangers of prejudice is more important than ever.”

The visit was arranged by the Holocaust Educational Trust, which works with schools to ensure young people continue to learn about the Holocaust and the dangers of hatred and discrimination.

The session gave pupils an opportunity to hear a deeply personal account of survival, loss and resilience, and to reflect on why Holocaust education remains so important today.

Photo caption:

Important lesson: Mrs Lu Lawrence visited Ysgol Greenhill to share the Holocaust testimony of her late father Zigi Shipper BEM (Pic: Ysgol Greenhill).