More than 300 professionals sign open letter calling for prevention-focused care and urgent reform

OCCUPATIONAL therapists across Wales are urging the new Welsh Government to act before pressure on the NHS and social care system deepens further.

More than 300 members of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists in Wales have signed an open letter calling for a major shift towards prevention, early intervention and care closer to home.

They say too much support is currently arriving only after people have reached crisis point.

The therapists argue that earlier help in the community could reduce hospital admissions, ease pressure on overstretched services and improve lives across Wales.

Occupational therapists work across the health and care system, supporting premature babies and families in neonatal care, helping children take part in school, enabling adults to stay in or return to work, and helping older people live safely in their own homes.

The Royal College says the profession is often overlooked, despite playing a vital role in keeping people independent and reducing demand on hospitals.

Its members are calling for five key changes, including embedding occupational therapists in every community healthcare cluster, improving workforce planning, putting prevention at the heart of health policy, ending inconsistencies in provision, and opening leadership roles to occupational therapists.

Paul Smith, RCOT Policy and Public Affairs Lead for Wales, said: “Wales can’t afford to keep waiting for a crisis to happen.

“Occupational therapists are already preventing hospital admissions, easing pressure on stretched services and supporting people to do the occupations they want and need to do.

“But they need to be positioned to provide the right support at the right time to make maximum impact.”

The call comes amid continued concern over waiting times, delayed discharges and pressure on hospitals, including in rural parts of Wales where patients often face long journeys for care.

RCOT says ministers, health boards, councils and sector leaders must now work with the profession to ensure people receive the right support earlier, closer to home, and before problems spiral into crisis.

CAMPAIGNERS took to the sea at Broad Haven today in a colourful protest demanding urgent action over sewage pollution in Welsh waters.

Surfers, paddleboarders, swimmers and families gathered on the beach on Saturday, with banners calling for cleaner seas and an end to pollution incidents affecting rivers and coastal waters.

The protest was part of the Surfers Against Sewage campaign, with demonstrators carrying placards reading “Keep the sea clean”, “Stop the pollution” and “Cut the crap”.

Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell attended the demonstration and made a speech supporting calls for tougher action. He has also recently written to Welsh Water raising concerns about pollution and water quality in the Tenby area.

Local community councillor Jeff Tierney, who works on and in the water at Abereiddy, said he fully supported the campaign.

Cllr Tierney said: “As a surfer, local community councillor and someone who works on and in the water at Abereiddy, I fully support the Surfers Against Sewage campaign.

“We are lucky at Abereiddy our water is excellent, but it’s clear the water companies have failed to invest adequately in ageing infrastructure over the past decades, allowing unregulated sewage discharges, poorly maintained drains and outdated treatment systems to become the norm.

“The result is that some of the treatment works are completely overwhelmed with sewage now effectively bypassing the treatment process, resulting in some rivers and coastal areas at times becoming unsafe and hazardous for swimmers, surfers, fishermen and other water users.

“Clean water should not be viewed as a luxury. It’s essential for public health, tourism, local livelihoods and the environment.

“The more this issue is brought into the public domain to make the public aware and put pressure on Natural Resources Wales to do their job properly, the better.”

Campaigners said the issue is no longer just an environmental concern, but one affecting public health, tourism, local businesses and confidence in Wales’ coastal waters.

Broad Haven, like many Pembrokeshire beaches, is central to the county’s identity and visitor economy.

Saturday’s protest showed the strength of feeling among those who use the sea regularly and believe not enough is being done to protect it.

Health bosses promise better joined-up care — but patients will want assurances over Withybush and travel distances

PEMBROKESHIRE patients are likely to be asking what a major NHS shake-up means for the future of hospital services closer to home after a new regional health body formally took over planning across south west Wales.

Health chiefs this week confirmed that regional working has formally transferred from ARCH (A Regional Collaboration for Health) to the South West Wales Regional Joint Committee (RJC), bringing together Hywel Dda and Swansea Bay university health boards under a new leadership structure.

The move is being presented by NHS leaders as a way to improve coordination, reduce waiting times and strengthen specialist healthcare across the region.

Key programmes expected to continue under the new body include cancer care, stroke services, vascular treatment, orthopaedics, pathology and eye care.

But for many in Pembrokeshire, the announcement may trigger familiar concerns about whether “regional working” could eventually mean more services being delivered further east, requiring patients to travel longer distances to Carmarthen or Swansea.

Withybush Hospital remains fiercely valued by local communities, and previous changes to hospital services have often sparked strong public reaction.

For patients in more rural parts of Pembrokeshire — including St Davids, Fishguard, Newport, Crymych and Tenby — access to healthcare can already involve journeys of 40 to 60 miles or more for appointments and treatment.

While health officials insist the new structure is about improving care and making better use of expertise across the region, questions are likely to be asked locally over how Pembrokeshire’s voice will be represented in decisions affecting frontline services.

Among the issues patients may want clarified are whether services currently provided at Withybush could be affected, how travel difficulties for rural communities will be considered, and whether the new regional approach will improve care locally or lead to greater centralisation.

The Regional Joint Committee replaces ARCH, which since 2015 brought together Swansea Bay University Health Board, Hywel Dda University Health Board and Swansea University to support healthcare innovation and service planning.

Health leaders say the new committee will continue to support research, technology and partnership working, while involving patients and communities in shaping services.

But in here Pembrokeshire, many will this plan weaken Withybush, not strengthen it.