West Lothian resident calls for hospitals to be made safer for immunosuppressed patients
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Business News Wales
30 minutes ago
- Business News Wales
Porthcawl Optician Launches New Service and Celebrates 20 Years with Specsavers
A Porthcawl optician is marking 20 years of serving the community by launching a specialist clinic to support patients with sight loss as part of the NHS funded Low Vision Service. According to the UK's leading sight loss charity, the Royal National Institute of Blind People, around two million people are currently living with sight loss in the UK. The charity also predicts that by 2050, one person will lose their sight every three minutes. The low vision assessment service is funded by the NHS and will be overseen in Porthcawl by Specsavers director Louise Whiffin. The service aims to support those with reduced vision to maximise their remaining sight by offering tailored support and visual aids, like magnifiers and specialist lighting, as well as practical advice. It is available via accredited clinicians throughout Wales. This coincides with Louise's 20th anniversary at Specsavers after joining the business in 2005 as an optical assistant at the Swansea store. She has progressed through a variety of roles during her tenure at Specsavers, including dispensing optician and dispensing manager, before moving to the Porthcawl store in November 2022 to become a director. Over the course of her career Louise has earned multiple certifications including those in dispensing optics, British Sign Language and mental health first aid. Earlier this month, she became a fully qualified contact lens optician. Louise said: 'I'm thrilled to be celebrating 20 years at Specsavers by launching our new low vision service. 'The industry has evolved so much over the past two decades, and there are now more opportunities than ever for us to expand our services and help even more people in the area improve their eye sight. 'I'm excited to see how we can continue to adapt and thrive as a store, ensuring we provide the very best service to our customers.'
South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Andrew Flintoff backs campaign to increase helipads at hospitals
In December 2022, Flintoff sustained severe injuries while filming at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey for an episode of BBC show Top Gear. The former international cricketer was airlifted to St George's Hospital in Tooting – a major trauma centre. The helipad at the hospital was funded by a campaign with the Helicopter Emergency Landing Pads (Help) Appeal. As he backed the campaign, Flintoff said: 'When I was airlifted, that helipad wasn't just a safe spot to land on the hospital roof, it was a vital step in giving me a second chance as I had immediate access to the specialist care which helped saved my life. 'As every cricket pitch has a wicket, every hospital that needs one should have a helipad.' The Help Appeal said that there have been 30,000 landings on the 32 NHS hospital helipads funded by the charity across the country. It has also funded 23 major upgrades at other hospital helipads. The charity is aiming to fund 40 new and upgraded helipads. Robert Bertram, chief executive of the Help Appeal, said: 'We are incredibly grateful to have Freddie's support, especially knowing that his life was saved thanks, in part, to a Help Appeal-funded helipad. His story highlights exactly why the charity's work is so vital – seconds count in a medical emergency and that helipad made all the difference. 'Freddie's backing brings invaluable awareness to the importance of rapid access to emergency care for everyone, everywhere.' Sir Keith Porter, emeritus professor of clinical traumatology at the University of Birmingham, said the charity plays a 'crucial part' in getting patients to the right hospital at the right time. He added: 'Helicopter Emergency Medical Services have the ability to deliver critical care teams at or close to the side of a patient and then to transport them to the most appropriate hospital for their clinical needs, in the case of injury, usually a major trauma centre. 'Minutes count, particularly for patients with life-threatening bleeding, where the extra journey time can make the difference between life and death. 'The Help Appeal, by funding on-site helipads, helps facilitate the prompt delivery of patients directly into the emergency department with a trolley-push from the landing site.' Flintoff also recently visited the NHS staff who cared for him after the accident at St George's Hospital. He praised health workers in the NHS as 'superheroes' and described the aftermath of the crash as the 'the lowest I've ever been'. The 47-year-old praised the 'expertise, love and compassion' shown by staff at the hospital during his time of need. During a documentary about the accident, Flintoff described how he used the split-second decision-making from his cricketing days to try to reduce the impact of the crash. He said he was 'pulled face-down on the runway' for about 50 metres under the car. The former England star said he thought he had died in the accident. For months after the crash, Flintoff disappeared from public view and would leave his house only for medical appointments His recovery has been documented in a documentary, Flintoff, streamed on Disney+.
North Wales Chronicle
3 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Andrew Flintoff backs campaign to increase helipads at hospitals
In December 2022, Flintoff sustained severe injuries while filming at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey for an episode of BBC show Top Gear. The former international cricketer was airlifted to St George's Hospital in Tooting – a major trauma centre. The helipad at the hospital was funded by a campaign with the Helicopter Emergency Landing Pads (Help) Appeal. As he backed the campaign, Flintoff said: 'When I was airlifted, that helipad wasn't just a safe spot to land on the hospital roof, it was a vital step in giving me a second chance as I had immediate access to the specialist care which helped saved my life. 'As every cricket pitch has a wicket, every hospital that needs one should have a helipad.' The Help Appeal said that there have been 30,000 landings on the 32 NHS hospital helipads funded by the charity across the country. It has also funded 23 major upgrades at other hospital helipads. The charity is aiming to fund 40 new and upgraded helipads. Robert Bertram, chief executive of the Help Appeal, said: 'We are incredibly grateful to have Freddie's support, especially knowing that his life was saved thanks, in part, to a Help Appeal-funded helipad. His story highlights exactly why the charity's work is so vital – seconds count in a medical emergency and that helipad made all the difference. 'Freddie's backing brings invaluable awareness to the importance of rapid access to emergency care for everyone, everywhere.' Sir Keith Porter, emeritus professor of clinical traumatology at the University of Birmingham, said the charity plays a 'crucial part' in getting patients to the right hospital at the right time. He added: 'Helicopter Emergency Medical Services have the ability to deliver critical care teams at or close to the side of a patient and then to transport them to the most appropriate hospital for their clinical needs, in the case of injury, usually a major trauma centre. 'Minutes count, particularly for patients with life-threatening bleeding, where the extra journey time can make the difference between life and death. 'The Help Appeal, by funding on-site helipads, helps facilitate the prompt delivery of patients directly into the emergency department with a trolley-push from the landing site.' Flintoff also recently visited the NHS staff who cared for him after the accident at St George's Hospital. He praised health workers in the NHS as 'superheroes' and described the aftermath of the crash as the 'the lowest I've ever been'. The 47-year-old praised the 'expertise, love and compassion' shown by staff at the hospital during his time of need. During a documentary about the accident, Flintoff described how he used the split-second decision-making from his cricketing days to try to reduce the impact of the crash. He said he was 'pulled face-down on the runway' for about 50 metres under the car. The former England star said he thought he had died in the accident. For months after the crash, Flintoff disappeared from public view and would leave his house only for medical appointments His recovery has been documented in a documentary, Flintoff, streamed on Disney+.
