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Community mental health physiotherapy services to be axed

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THE PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD understands that community mental health physiotherapy services in Pembrokeshire are to be withdrawn by Hywel Dda University Health Board, without any form of consultation.

The professionals affected have no guarantee of employment with extremely short notice, we have been told.

It is also understood that affected staff have been asked not to ’cause trouble’.

This stealth cut to what is described by end users as an ‘essential service’ comes just two weeks before the health board’s consultation process on the location of hospitals and A&E services in west Wales comes to a close.

The doomed service provides a physiotherapy and exercise service to any adult with mental health problems who is unable to access mainstream services independently. The multi-skilled team aims to promote wellbeing and independence, and to free up hospital time.

Our reliable source for this story, who has asked not to be identified, told this newspaper: “This is obviously a shocking decision that will have a direct impact on some of the most vulnerable members of our community. I have personal experience with these services, as they helped my late mother lead a full and independent life in her own home.
“There were numerous occasions where various consultants with little experience of mental health issues were recommending she be put into a care home or mental health unit, but it was thanks to the support and intervention of the wonderful mental heath physio team that she was able to carry on living independently, freeing up valuable space for those in greater need.
“Patients with dementia, anxiety issues and other mental health conditions are now going to be left stranded, unable to be access the vital physiotherapy they need to improve their overall physical health and well-being.
“Due to the uncertainty surrounding the continuation of these posts, doctors are already unable to refer people to mental health units from wards to get the treatment they need, and speed their passage home, instead they are taking up valuable bed space.

Our source went on to tell us that this was a “disgraceful decision”, and asked The Herald to “expose the lack of consultation, and highlight that once again they are cutting costs at the expense of patient care.”

The Herald has verified this story with a member of Health Board staff, who has asked to remain unnamed.

The closure of a community based service runs directly directly contrary to the Board’s stated position of strengthening such services set out in its own consultation document.
Hywel Dda University Health Board have been contacted for a comment.

 

Crime

Fishguard man jailed after breaching order banning contact with mother

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A FISHGUARD man has been jailed after breaching a restraining order which banned him from contacting his mother.

Steven O’Sullivan attended his mother’s home on June 22, despite the order having been imposed in November 2012. It prohibited him from having any direct or indirect contact with her.

“She felt she needed to phone the police because she was frightened of her son,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“He had been dropped off at his mother’s property by a female, and his mother went upstairs to ring the police because he makes her feel vulnerable.”

When officers arrived, they found O’Sullivan inside an outbuilding, crouching beside an outside toilet.

“There have been a number of previous breaches, the most recent being on June 5,” continued Ms Vaughan. “Now we have yet another one on June 22.”

O’Sullivan, of Gwelfor, Fishguard, is currently on remand at Swansea Prison. He is also accused of stealing beer and food worth £45 from the Nisa store in Haverfordwest on June 21.

Representing him in court, solicitor Tom Lloyd said there had been no threats of violence when O’Sullivan went to his mother’s home.

“But the aggravating factor is his previous convictions,” he told the bench.

“He was particularly upset and had nowhere else to go. This was why he went to see his mother.”

Magistrates jailed O’Sullivan for eight weeks. He was also ordered to pay a £154 court surcharge and £85 costs.

He is due to return to Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on July 7 to enter a plea in relation to the alleged theft offence.

 

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Crime

Pembroke Dock drug-driver banned after being caught over cannabis and cocaine limits

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A PEMBROKE DOCK man has been banned from the roads for more than three years after being caught drug-driving for the third time.

Adam Crayford, 28, was stopped by police shortly after 10pm on January 9 as he drove his Volkswagen Golf through Pembroke Dock.

Blood tests later showed he had 5.8mcg of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in cannabis, in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

He was also found to have 117mcg of benzoylecgonine, a cocaine breakdown product, in his blood. The legal limit is 50mcg.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates were told that Crayford, of Mayfield House, Victoria Road, Pembroke Dock, had previously been convicted of drug-driving in 2019 and of failing to provide a specimen for analysis in 2022.

Crayford pleaded guilty to both drug-driving offences.

“He is disappointed to be back before the courts again and recognises the seriousness of the matter,” said his solicitor, Alaw Harries.

“This is particularly so in light of his previous convictions.”

After considering a probation report, magistrates sentenced Crayford to an 18-month community order. He must complete 100 hours of unpaid work and attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was disqualified from driving for 40 months and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs.

 

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News

Bridge installation to begin at Tenby station as accessibility upgrade reaches key stage

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TEMPORARY overnight road closures and changes to station parking will be in place in Tenby from this weekend as Network Rail begins installing sections of a new pedestrian bridge at the town’s railway station.

The work forms part of a major accessibility upgrade funded through the Department for Transport’s Access for All programme.

Once completed, the scheme will provide step-free access to both platforms at Tenby station for the first time, improving access for disabled passengers, people with reduced mobility, parents with pushchairs and those travelling with luggage.

The station car park is now closed and is due to reopen at 7:00am on Saturday, July 11.

Passengers are being advised to use nearby car parks while the closure is in place. Alternative parking is available at The Green on Lower Park Road, Salterns Car Park on Marsh Road, Sainsbury’s multi-storey car park on Upper Park Road, and Seafront Car Park on Southcliffe Street.

Overnight road closures will also be in place on Warren Street and Station Road between 9:00pm and 5:00am from Saturday, July 4, until Thursday, July 9.

The roads will reopen each morning in a bid to minimise daytime disruption.

Resident permit holders will be able to use the top floor of Tenby Multi-Storey Car Park on Park Road free of charge during the bridge installation, as long as a valid permit is clearly displayed.

A temporary pick-up and drop-off point will also be available on the corner of Greenhill Avenue to help passengers access the station while the works are carried out.

Network Rail has said Tenby station will remain open throughout the work, with trains continuing to operate as normal.

Helen Hodgson, senior sponsor at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said the bridge installation marked “another exciting milestone” in the project.

She said: “This is another exciting milestone in transforming Tenby station into a fully accessible railway station for the first time.

“Once complete, these improvements will make a real difference for passengers, providing easier, safer and more independent access to the railway for everyone.

“We appreciate that the temporary overnight road closures and car park closure may cause some inconvenience, and we’d like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding while we carry out this important work.

“Every effort is being made to minimise disruption and keep people moving while these improvements are delivered.”

The upgrade is part of wider efforts to improve accessibility across the rail network and remove barriers for passengers who currently face difficulty using stations with steps between platforms.

 

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