News

Wales’ critical care beds full

Published

6 years ago

November 3, 2020

• Increase in beds planned
• Hospitals ‘safe for most patients’
• Call for COVID-free sites

THE HEAD of the Welsh NHS, Dr Andrew Goodall, delivered a sobering assessment of the nation’s capacity to handle any sharp increase in the number of patients requiring critical care.

He also said any benefits from the Welsh Government’s ‘firebreak’ lockdown would not filter through the system for several weeks.

Speaking at a press conference at Tuesday lunchtime (Nov 2), Dr Goodall said although Welsh hospitals were well-prepared for the usual winter pressures, cases of coronavirus meant they faced challenges to maintain services over the coming months.
Andrew Goodall said all of Wales’ critical care beds were now occupied.

Coronavirus patients occupy a third of critical care beds. The balance of critical care beds is occupied by the normal number of patients needing critical care.

Dr Goodall said an increase in critical care beds was possible to absorb a rise in coronavirus cases.

He will know, however, that any increase in critical care beds will run into the problem of finding suitably-qualified and experienced staff to attend patients occupying them.

Diverting existing staff to critical care units from other specialisms within the Welsh NHS will have a knock-on effect on other NHS services.

Macmillan Cancer Support has already expressed its concerns about cancer patients falling through the cracks in NHS staffing caused by the coronavirus.

In a report on COVID-19’S effects on cancer treatment, the charity says: ‘The NHS must ringfence the capacity needed to keep COVID-protected cancer services running, with no redeployment of staffing or repurposing of resources’.

Andrew Goodall also revealed that around one in forty of all cases reported nationally were attributable to patients contracting coronavirus while in hospital. The NHS identified 192 likely cases of transmission in hospitals during the previous week.

He added the prevalence of COVID in the wider population meant excluding from closed clinical settings was all-but impossible.
Dr Goodall stressed the spread of the virus in hospitals was nothing to do with poor infection control but reflected COVID’s infectiousness. It can be passed in its pre-symptomatic, asymptomatic, and symptomatic stages.

Dr Goodall emphasised that hospital care is safe.

Everyone admitted to hospital is tested. Six percent of those admitted to hospital test positive for COVID, regardless of whether they attend for treatment for the virus or not. Even the worst-affected area of Wales (Rhondda Cynon Taf) only three percent of hospital admissions are directly related to coronavirus infection. Over eighty-five percent of available NHS beds in Wales do not have coronavirus patients.

Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “People must have confidence that the Government is doing all it can to urgently provide ‘Green’ COVID-free, or ‘COVID-light’ sites for diagnosis and treatment.

“Given how quickly the virus can spread when it gets into health and care settings, they must have confidence also in steps taken to keep the virus out in the first place. I don’t want people who may need treatment deciding to stay away, shoring up more serious problems for themselves and the health service.”

Crime

Carmarthen man admits takeaway burglaries

Published

10 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Court Reporter

Phillip Roberts stole cash from USA Chicken and returned the following day with intent to steal

A CARMARTHEN man has admitted a string of burglaries at the same takeaway business on consecutive days.

Phillip Roberts, 44, of Brewery Road, Carmarthen, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to three offences connected to USA Chicken on Blue Street.

The court heard that on June 4, Roberts entered the premises as a trespasser and stole a tip jar containing cash. He also admitted a second burglary at the same business on the same date, during which £50 cash was stolen.

A further offence took place on June 5, when Roberts entered USA Chicken as a trespasser with intent to steal.

Magistrates adjourned sentence for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. The report will consider all sentencing options, including possible committal to the Crown Court.

Roberts was granted conditional bail. He must not enter USA Chicken, Blue Street, and must not contact Mustafa Baksi, either directly or indirectly.

He is due to return to Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on July 1 for sentence.

Health

Welsh Ambulance Service urges public to ‘choose wisely’ as pressures continue

Published

11 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH AMBULANCE SERVICE has issued a fresh appeal to the public following the declaration of a critical incident on Friday (June 26), as exceptionally high demand continues to place pressure on crews across Wales.

In a social media post published today (Saturday, June 27), the Trust warned that hot weather is contributing to a rise in ambulance call-outs, including incidents involving heat-related illness, falls, breathing difficulties and existing medical conditions worsened by the heat.

The message comes less than 24 hours after the service declared a critical incident amid unprecedented demand, with ambulance resources stretched across Wales.

The Trust is urging people to call 999 only for serious or life-threatening emergencies, contact NHS 111 Wales for urgent health advice, and use local pharmacies for minor illnesses and ailments.

It said choosing the right service can help ambulance crews reach the sickest patients more quickly while pressures remain high.

Crime

Six arrested after immigration raids at Florentino’s restaurants

Published

12 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SIX people have been arrested following Immigration Enforcement raids at Florentino’s Italian restaurants in Tenby and Carmarthen.

Officers visited the Tenby branch in St Julian’s Street on June 18, where two Romanian nationals were identified as allegedly having no right to work in the UK. Both were arrested on suspicion of illegal working.

The Tenby operation followed an earlier raid at Florentino’s in Carmarthen in February, where four workers — two Romanian nationals, a Bangladeshi national and a Mongolian national — were also arrested on suspicion of illegal working.

The Herald previously reported in March that the Carmarthen restaurant had been linked to a major HMRC case, after Claudio Cernat Ltd, formerly trading as Florentino’s on Jacksons Lane, was listed over a £278,000 deliberate tax underpayment and a further £186,000 penalty.

Immigration officials say inquiries are now under way to establish who may be liable for employing the individuals. Employers found to have breached illegal working rules can face civil penalties of up to £60,000 per worker.

One of the Tenby workers has already returned, while the other is in the process of returning. Of the Carmarthen workers, two have returned, one was placed on immigration bail and another was de-arrested with a warning.

Immigration Enforcement Lead for Wales, Richard Johnson, said: “I want to thank my officers who showed the highest levels of professionalism under challenging circumstances on these operations.

“Immigration Enforcement teams in Wales continue to work round the clock to ensure businesses play by the rules and those with no right to be in the UK are tracked down and returned at the earliest opportunity.”

The Home Office says illegal working enforcement has increased significantly since July 2024, with raids and arrests rising across the UK and Wales.

No finding has yet been made against the restaurant operators in relation to the latest arrests.

Florentino’s has been approached for comment.