News

Charity calls for improved endoscopy services

Published

10 years ago

June 4, 2014

BOWEL CANCER UK, the charity determined to save lives by promoting early diagnosis and address inequalities in treatment and care, has released a report calling for improved endoscopy services in Wales for urgent testing of patients with suspected cancer. Nearly 16,000 men and women die of bowel cancer every year in the UK, making it the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. In Wales, there were 2,354 new cases of bowel cancer in 2010 (most recent figures available, according to Cancer Research UK). The report, entitled ‘Diagnosing bowel cancer early: right test, right time’ highlights serious problems with endoscopy services in the UK, with referral criteria, waiting times and quality of services being the key issues. A colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy are the key diagnostic tests for bowel cancer. This new research from Bowel Cancer UK highlights delays in referral for diagnostic testing caused by overlyprescriptive guidelines; a lack of investment in endoscopy capacity by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which will fail to meet e demand and inconsistencies in the type of diagnostic test and quality of test available to patients in different parts of the UK. The current national guidelines for GPs on referral of urgent suspected cancer are restricted to those with ‘alarm’ or ‘high risk’ symptoms, such as rectal bleeding. Yet only half of people diagnosed with bowel cancer present with the ‘high risk’ symptoms that would qualify for an urgent referral. From the 708 responses from a national survey conducted in September 2013 among people with bowel cancer who had had an endoscopy, the Bowel Cancer UK report found that one in three people who had had an endoscopy had seen their GP more than three times before their referral. Of these, nearly half had a tumour detected. GPs can recommend patients have these tests with either a nonurgent or urgent referral. While the demand for endoscopies such as these is increasing, due to an ageing population and roll-out of screening programmes, the report forecasts a potential crisis as even more endoscopies are increasingly vital. Deborah Alsina, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said, ‘We are calling for GP guidelines to be liberalised so that GPs can use their judgement and refer patients even when their symptoms do not point directly to bowel cancer. It’s a tragedy that more people are not referred for endoscopy sooner. After all, early diagnosis saves lives.’

Crime

Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property

Published

12 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.

Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.

The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.

The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.

The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.

News

Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’

Published

12 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”

The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.

Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”

NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.

“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.

“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”

The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”

This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.

Community

Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed

Published

14 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.

The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.

Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.

Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.

The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.

With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.

“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”