Community

Winter ops axe causes outrage

Published

13 years ago

October 28, 2013

HYWEL Dda Local Health Board announced controversial plans this week to make major cutbacks to winter services that will profoundly affect patients awaiting operations at Withybush Hospital.
The decision has enraged local politicians, as well as a leading union, along with scores of patients who will be adversely affected by these cuts.
In a press release issued on their web site, the Hywel Dda LHB said: “The Health Board has a responsibility to ensure continued safe care at this time of increased pressure, and is putting plans in place now to respond to the anticipated increase in activity over the winter season.
‘’In previous winters, we had up to 160 additional beds in place often being managed by temporary staff. This is not a position we can sustain this year. To address this, we propose to manage our bed stock and elective surgical lists in a better way during the busiest months this winter to ensure we have the staff capacity to manage emergencies and the most urgent patients.
‘’We would like to reassure patients that if they have an urgent clinical need they will be seen. Emergency and cancer procedures, the vast majority of orthopaedic day surgery and other elective procedures will also continue.”
The proposals announced by the Health Board state that the use of theatres will be for those with the highest clinical need and they will be reviewing and re-profiling patients on orthopaedic waiting lists, as well as increasing day surgery cases and maximising alternative methods of treatment through non-surgical pathways.
They further state they will monitor the position on a weekly basis and review that position towards the end of the winter surge. There will also be a non-emergency surgical shutdown for two weeks over Christmas.
One such patient awaiting surgery is Angela Burns, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire AM, who is highly critical of the proposals.
She told The Herald: “This shutdown will unfairly hit the elderly and vulnerable hardest, many of whom would have been waiting for months already. While conditions requiring orthopaedic surgery may not be life threatening, the constant pain, loss of mobility and pure daily effort to live with these conditions is immense.
‘’The thought of waiting another six months for my own knee replacement fills me with dread, and I know there are many, many more in far worse situations and far more pain than myself. I cannot begin to comprehend the feelings of some people who attend my surgeries to tell me that they cannot stand long enough to cook, and rely on ready meals alone.
‘’My heart goes out to these patients and their families and I will fight loudly and consistently against these plans. Labour’s record-breaking cuts and its failure to recruit staff are hampering hardworking staff and I urge ministers to put an end to these mistakes”.
The Health Service union, UNISON, reacted angrily to the Health Board plans and, Branch Chairperson, Wendy Evans, said: “The Health Board already has a waiting time of 15 months for patients awaiting orthopaedic surgery. This will clearly add at least another five to six months to their waiting time, causing further distress and possibly further complications to their condition”.
She went on to say that UNISON had immediately written to the Health Minister, Mr Mark Drakeford to complain about the decision. UNISON also suggested that, in staff meetings at Prince Philip Hospital of this week, the Orthopaedic consultant surgeons were also deeply critical of the plans.
UNISON Regional Organiser, Jeff Baker, said: “This is another example of the Health Board making a unilateral decision on service changes without properly consulting either the staff or the community.”
Liberal Democrat, William Powell, AM for Mid and West Wales, has called for clarity following UNISON’s claims, that all planned orthopaedic surgery for the four main hospitals in the Hywel Dda Health Board area have been cancelled until April 2014.
He said: “The Welsh Labour Government and local Health Boards seem surprised that winter comes around every year. Cold weather and snow can cause difficulties in the NHS but proper planning would ensure that patients are treated all year round.
‘’Many people who are waiting for orthopaedic surgery often have to endure months in pain. It is not right that they have to wait even longer because of the Welsh Labour Government’s incompetence. This is not an acceptable way to run a National Health Service”.
Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas, who sits on the all-party Finance Committee of the National Assembly, added his concern: “The scrapping of non-urgent surgery is bitterly disappointing for my constituents. It is disappointing that saving money comes before ensuring people get their operations, when the Welsh NHS has had extra money in their budgets this year.
‘’Earlier this year, Plaid Cymru highlighted the lack of action by Welsh Health Boards to recruit more doctors and more nurses from across the European Union.”
The Herald spoke exclusively to Pam O’Dare, one of the unfortunate patients who are likely to be told their wait for hip surgery is to be extended as a result of these cut backs.
She reacted angrily to what she sees as grim news: “I was under the impression my surgery would be in December or January. Now, it is likely to be put back to April 2014, and it might be a lot further on than that.
‘’I had a hip replacement four years ago and the surgeons were excellent, but the wait is very painful. The pain can be very bad and I am taking some very strong painkillers. I have a high pain threshold but this is unbearable. Why is it always about cut backs for patients?”
The Welsh Government appeared to have been caught on the hop by Hywel Dda LHB’s announcement. At questions in the Senedd, First Minister Carwyn Jones revealed he was given 24 hours’ notice of its content.
The Herald contacted the Welsh Government for further comment: “The Health Minister stated at a recent Health and Social Services Committee meeting that his expectation is for winter plans to be published by individual health boards, once they have been through clearance with their individual boards. We are writing to health boards confirming this expectation.”
Meanwhile, patients like Pam O’Dare and AM, Angela Burns, wait to find out what effect these proposals will have on an already lengthy waiting time.

Community

Police issue warning as Tenby Summer Spectacular faces crucial licence decision

Published

14 minutes ago

July 12, 2026

Richard Lewis

A DECISION on whether to grant a license for Tenby’s Summer Spectacular events, which have been cancelled this year, is expected in a few days, councillors hearing claims the current arrangement is “a disaster waiting to happen”.

Tenby’s Summer Spectacular is held every year in August and the events have been a summer highlight in the resort for many years.

Tenby Round Table are the organisers of the Tenby harbour-based events which feature food, drink and live music entertainment, culminating in a popular fireworks display.

Late last month, Tenby Round Table said that the two spectaculars scheduled for this August were provisionally cancelled, pending a deadline of Friday, June 26, given to Pembrokeshire County Council.

The round table volunteers have said negotiations with Pembrokeshire County Council’s public realm department have failed to produce a clear, workable agreement on temporary restrictions for pedestrian access to the harbour and its beach during the event.

Without that, they say, they cannot legally or safely control crowd numbers.

The licence covers Tenby Harbour car park and extends to the top of Penniless Cove Hill, with a stage area, stalls, stands and a refreshment area including a bar selling soft and alcoholic drinks in cans. The sale of alcohol is authorised by way of a temporary event notice rather than as a licensable activity on the Premises Licence.

It is an open-air event with no fences or barriers and customers wishing to enter the licensed area can make a voluntary donation to the organisation, there no ticketing or charge for entry.

The July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing sub-committee considered an application for a review of the premises licence for the Spectacular, submitted by Dyfed Powys Police, which said the current license is “no longer fit for purpose”.

At the meeting a representative for Dyfed-Powys Police, who invited the committee to revoke the current licence, said it was “a disaster waiting to happen” in its current format, the police expressing concerns about public safety and overcrowding, with a danger of “crowd surging” and limited escape routes at an event emergency services say should have a maximum capacity of 1,600 people in the harbour area rather than the estimated 3,000 attracted.

While stressing the police were not against the event, he said it “has evolved from a family event to a large-scale drinking environment”.

Concerns were raised by other emergency services; the ambulance service raising concerns about access, and the fire service raising concerns about public safety.

Members heard the event had become “a victim of its own success,” with ever greater crowds attracted.

Pembrokeshire County Council Lead Licensing Officer Geraint Griffiths said the current event was “very dangerous,” and an “incident waiting to happen,” any surge of the crowd being potentially devastating.

Tenby Round Table disputed some of the figures produced by the emergency services about incidents in previous years, saying they were not connected to the event.

The ‘Table members present stressed they had tried to address the issue of access to the licensed area: “This year’s event has been cancelled, it arose from the sheer volume of people visiting Tenby creating a question we have tried to get answered for the best part of a year; without a clear answer we couldn’t finish our licensing plan and couldn’t responsibly hold our events.”

Committee member Cllr Mark Carter suggested the event had become “too successful,” and may have “outgrown its current location,” the Round Table saying any move, while still keeping fireworks at the harbour would be logistically difficult.

Cllr Carter said access to the event from the nearby beach was “the elephant in the room,” hoping the organisers would present a robust scheme to deal with that issue.

Members were given four options about how to proceed with the licensing, including revoking it or amending it.

Chair Cllr Tim Evans closed the meeting saying the committee would deliberate, a decision expected to take a day-plus, with a decision in writing expected within five working days.

Community

Family pays tribute to Ashley Wayne Keane following fatal A40 collision

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2026

Tom Sinclair

The 38-year-old died after a collision between a van and a bus near Llandeilo

THE FAMILY of a man who died following a collision on the A40 have paid tribute to him, saying they have been left “utterly heartbroken” by their sudden loss.

Ashley Wayne Keane, aged 38, was the driver of a van involved in the collision between Llandeilo and Nantgaredig at around 4.25pm on Friday, July 3.

Emergency services attended the scene, but Mr Keane sadly died following the collision.

In a statement released through Dyfed-Powys Police, his family said: “We are utterly heartbroken by the sudden and tragic loss of Ashley Wayne Keane.

“He will forever be in our hearts, and as his family, we kindly ask for privacy to grieve this devastating loss.”

Police have asked that the family’s request for privacy is respected.

Community

Drag icon Dr Bev to perform at Pembrokeshire Pride

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2026

James Sinclair

WORLD RENOWNED drag icon, Dr Bev, has been announced as the closing act for the Pembrokeshire Pride Festival in September.

Dr Bev, whose full stage name is Dr Beverley Ballcrusher, is a well known drag artist from Cardiff. In a career that has lasted for over 30 years, she has become one of the highlights of the city’s LGBTQ+ scene.

In that time, she has toured across mainland Europe. Before coming to Pembrokeshire Pride Festival, Dr Bev will be performing at Sao Paulo Pride Festival, the world’s biggest Pride festival.

Dr Bev has also been a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and HIV awareness. Dr Bev’s performer, Rob Keetch, volunteered at Cardiff Body Positivity to offer advice to those dealing with HIV during the 1990s. Dr Bev began at an event designed to support one of Rob’s associates from this charity, drag queen Connie Condom.

Dr Bev went on to be the founder of Pride Cymru, Wales’ largest LGBTQ+ celebration, holding an annual big weekend in Cardiff. The parade and festival promotes awareness of LGBTQ+ people, part of Pride Cymru’s wider mission to promote acceptance in Wales.

Dr Bev is therefore a figure rooted deeply in Welsh Pride and LGBTQ+ celebration. Having her come to Pembrokeshire Pride Festival is a massive moment for Pride in Pembrokeshire, closing out the festival with one of Wales’ biggest LGBTQ+ icons.

The day will include family friendly entertainment and activities, with food vendors, community areas and performances.

On Dr Bev’s appearance, Rob Keetch said: ‘To go from São Paulo Pride to Dewslake Farm is exactly what Pride should be about: joy, visibility, connection and making sure LGBTQ+ people know they are seen and celebrated wherever they live.‘

Dr Bev will also be wearing her rainbow outfit worn at San Paulo Pride, giving fans an opportunity to see part of the world’s biggest pride festival.

Pembrokeshire Pride Festival will take place on 19th September at Dewslake Farm, near Lamphey. Tickets will be available from the 24th July.