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NHS staff expected to achieve basic level of Welsh by 2027
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Leader Live
37 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Concerns over jobs for paramedic graduates in Wales
Figures have revealed that just 20 of the 67 paramedic graduates in Wales, funded in part by the Welsh Government, have been offered jobs by the Welsh Ambulance Service (WAS) this year. This is despite the Welsh Ambulance Service requesting 86 Paramedics to be trained and paid for through Welsh Government funding. The figures were revealed by Senedd candidate for Swansea and Gower Sam Bennett and Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Senedd Member Jane Dodds, acting on reports from local residents and writing to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles, for confirmation, which he has since done. The Welsh Liberal Democrats are now calling on the Welsh Government to "urgently intervene" and create more posts so as to prevent the time and money spent training much-needed qualified Paramedics from being wasted. Commenting on the figures, Jane Dodds MS said: 'With record response times across Wales, the Welsh Government have an opportunity here to get more trained Paramedics responding to incidents. We cannot afford to lose these highly skilled professionals, especially not at a time when the NHS is under this much pressure. 'It is shocking, despite funding 86 Paramedic Students to be trained, that less than half will be recruited. At a time when Paramedics are desperately needed to help improve Ambulance response times, that so few are to be hired is a scandal. 'The Welsh Government should now step in and ensure that these trained and qualified Paramedics are hired to relieve the strain on the Welsh Ambulance Service.' TOP STORIES TODAY Unite confirms that bin strikes WILL go ahead in Wrexham New burger restaurant 'Smashies' opens its doors in Wrexham In response to the concerns raise, Carl Kneeshaw, the Welsh Ambulance Service's Director of People, said: 'As a result of changes to skill mix, changes in working patterns and the financial landscape within the NHS, we unfortunately initially found ourselves in the challenging position of not being able to offer Newly Qualified Paramedic roles to a number of recent graduates from Welsh universities. 'However, we have worked in collaboration with colleagues from Health Education and Improvement Wales and partner organisations across NHS Wales to find solutions, and we are really pleased to say that we will be able to offer roles in the near future to those graduates who were successful at interview.' In their response, the Welsh Government added: "We are committed to ensuring our investment in NHS education and training is supported by meaningful employment opportunities. 'This includes exploring alternative employment within the NHS, including roles in emergency care, accident and emergency, and primary care settings, for the students affected. 'We are working closely with the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust, Health Education and Improvement Wales and universities to address these challenges and support graduates.'
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
The doctor said 'there's nothing we can do' so we sold our house and went to live on a boat
The doctor said 'there's nothing we can do' so we sold our house and went to live on a boat 'It feels like we're on holiday every day, I can't imagine living in a street or on land again' Tim and Nannw on board their boat that is their much-loved home (Image: Tim and Nannw Jenkins) When Tim Jenkins went out into his garden to calm down after the first half of a particularly exciting rugby international between Wales and France, and then collapsed, he put it down to the stress of watching his favourite sport. But when it happened again, and this time Tim lay in the garden foliage for over 20 minutes, there was clearly something seriously wrong and an urgent appointment was made to check on his health. The MRI scan revealed a bleed on the brain that was sizable and could not be accessed or treated. This is not the first Tim has had a shocking health diagnosis, he has also had a lung removed due to cancer and has had a kidney transplant thanks to his incredibly supportive sister as the donor. But this time there was nothing that could be done. Tim says: "The neurologist said 'you just have to live with it, there's nothing we can do - go and live your life'." For more property and homes stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here. READ MORE: 'I could never live on land again, my boat was the best place I could have been in my life to recover from illness' YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 'We drive for 270 miles every other week to renovate a rundown chapel, to one day live our Welsh dream' Nannw outside the couple's floating home (Image: Tim and Nannw Jenkins) Having a life-changing health diagnosis can spur some people into deciding to completely alter their lifestyle and their outlook on life and for this very friendly and surprisingly upbeat couple it was to ditch the bricks and mortar and set off on an adventure in a motorhome. But after months of being on the road, enjoyable though it was, the couple decided that they needed to live somewhere a bit more comfortable full-time but knew they couldn't go back to a static house - they had tasted the freedom of waking up in different locations - so a boat seemed to be the obvious answer. The couple, Tim aged 63 originally from Cardiff and Nannw aged 61 and a Caerphilly girl, had lived in a coastal cottage in west Wales for over 30 years and, as the children had grown up and flown the nest, a boat as a home didn't seem so far removed from the much-loved normality of living near water. The couple are from south Wales so of course the boat, currently moored in England is called Delilah (Image: Tim and Nannw Jenkins) But Nannw says: "But I'd never even been on a canal boat, the only boat I'd ever been on was a ferry! I was thinking about living in a home in Penarth Marina but Tim suggested a widebeam narrow boat - it's like a flat on the water." Tim adds: "I said to her we could live in Penarth Marina in a house or flat but on a boat it would be great, we can move around, why don't we have a boat instead?" Tim says the couple spent around four months looking around the canal systems around England and Wales and that helped them make the epic decision to make water and not land their home. Tim says: "W hat a beautiful party of the world Warwickshire is, and that's a Welshman saying that! It seemed the perfect place, in and around the Grand Union Canal." Inside, the boat is more spacious and comfortable than many people think - it's a floating flat (Image: Tim and Nannw Jenkins) After attending a helmsman course to learn how to move it, how to steer it, the couple finally came across a vessel that captivated them and have since explored part of the River Thames and are currently are enjoying the west Midlands area - by water of course. Being a Welsh couple in a foreign land they have, of course, called their floating widebeam narrow boat home Delilah. Tim says: "On the boat it has a small deck, you go down into the hole below deck and you've got a kitchen, a sitting room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom - when we saw her we just thought we could do this, we could live here like this. "And it's been like being on permanent holiday - we'd set off for a month, stop and moor up, go and explore the countryside - you don't have to pack, and when you get back in the evening all the furniture that you usually leave when you go away is all still there - it's absolutely brilliant. I think that's incredible." The bathroom is as stylish as any home on the land (Image: Tim and Nannw Jenkins) Nannw adds: " I think what is lovely here as well, is that from every window I just look at water, or the countryside, it's beautiful - you're surrounded by nature. It's so easy, living on this boat, it's got enough space and it's an active lifestyle, it keeps you fit." Tim says: "If we stop and don't like it we can just move on, if we tire of a spot, we just move on. We have explored Warwickshire and Birmingham and stayed in Leamington for Christmas. The canals go through towns and cities too so we're seeing places we have never known existed. That's the best bit about it, that you can literally pick up your home without worrying about anything, no packing, you just wander wherever you want to, as long as the boat will fit." Tim is very keen on explaining the technical side of the boat as well, as he is keen to stress that they don't miss out on any modern comfort, as many people seem to think. He says: "I like the boring bit as well, the technical aspects of the boat, like the solar power, so all the electrics run on solar power when she's stationary, and that runs a washing machine, computers, television, Wi-Fi and so on, and then when you're moving the engine then charges the batteries again." Tim inside one of the two spacious bedrooms (Image: Tim and Nannw Jenkins) One aspect of living on a narrow boat, especially a larger one, that at first took the couple by surprise is navigating tunnels, especially for the first time. Nannw says: "Because we're wide, they have to block the traffic and you have to go seven in the morning and they say to you, 'we'll stop all the other boats or little boats and then you go through and you've got an hour to get through' so there's a time pressure. "You go into this black hole and you're in it for an hour, it's got air chambers every third of a mile or so but you look up and there are tiny lights at the top and that shows you how deep you are in the tunnel. I'm wishing for, and looking for, the light at the end of the tunnel!" Bedroom two is a double as well - and both slumber spaces have the most wonderful of water views (Image: Tim and Nannw Jenkins) Nannw says they have worked out a way to keep in contact with each other even in a mile long tunnel, she says: "T his boat is so big that Tim can't see the end. I stand on the end of the boat while Tim steers and we've got walkie-talkies to chat to each other." For more property and homes stories join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here. Another aspect of livin g on a boat that the couple have learnt is that, for them, the best scenario is to moor in the winter and explore in the summer. Tim says: "In the winter it's so cold when you're standing on a deck and trying to think about manoeuvring your boat. And that's why many people overwinter in a marina because it's actually freezing." The couple say that the freedom to move is as flexible as anyone wants it to be for their own personal choice - a permanent mooring, move around and stay in other moorings for two weeks, a mix of both, or even go off for six months - you've got a base that is permanent and somebody can't take off you, but you've also got the freedom to go for a wander. Nannw says she can't ever imagine living in a street on land again (Image: Tim and Nannw Jenkins) Tim says you can moor in some very special places for a very special price. He explains: "For example, you can moor in Windsor right by the castle then, in the morning, a bailiff person comes by, knocks on the window, and they say, 'could I have a fiver please for you to moor here?' And for £5 a night, you get to stay in a prime spot, isn't that just brilliant?!" One aspect of living on a boat that seems to fascinate land-loving people are the toilet facilities. Tim says Delila has got a tank for the pump-out toilet where the waste then gets pumped out at a designated station that each marina offers that is part of the mooring rent, as well as toilets similar to a caravan using a cassette system that collects and then you take out, or a composting toilet - or a mix of these options. When the couple want a change of scenery they just up anchor and meander off down one of the UK's canals (Image: Tim and Nannw Jenkins) Anyone tempted to become the captain of their own ship the couple can offer a few words of wisdom and one is to seek the support of other canal dwellers as they say it is a friendly community happy to help and for everyone's safety attend a course on exactly how to navigate travelling the canals, even though you're only travelling around four miles per hour. Tim adds: "Also go and have a look at as many boats as you can because you'd be shocked how different they are, they might look the same on the outside, but you go inside and the layout and everything can be so different. Also, one of the added costs to consider is a licence - we pay £ 2,000 a year, it's like a car tax and you have to pay that whether they're in a marina or not. "At the moment I'm feeling fine and we are enjoying our home on the water and will continue to explore, maybe even try to get further afield but our boat won't fit every canal in the UK, we need a canal like a motorway, like the M4." Article continues below Nannw concludes: "It's not a rough and ready life, you've got all the romance of the canals, a relaxing time travelling at just four miles per hour, but a comfortable home too, now I can't imagine living in a street or on land again."
Powys County Times
a day ago
- Powys County Times
Letter: Powys patients are being rationed healthcare
The decision by Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) to deliberately delay treatment for its own patients – purely to align with Wales' already appalling waiting times - is a shameful dereliction of duty. One might expect a health board to fight tooth and nail for faster care and better outcomes. Instead, PTHB has chosen to drag its standards down, inflicting needless pain and distress on its residents in the name of 'fairness'. Let's call this what it is: a bureaucratic betrayal. Patients who once had hope of timely treatment in neighbouring English hospitals are now being punished for living on the wrong side of a political border. No warning letters. No consultation. Just silence and suffering. This is healthcare rationing by stealth - and those paying the price are elderly residents, working families, and anyone unfortunate enough to fall ill in Powys. That the Welsh Government has allowed this policy to stand speaks volumes. For years now, Welsh Labour has presided over a crumbling NHS, where two-year waits for treatment have become normalised. It is a disgrace that such delays are not only tolerated but actively extended to more people in the name of 'equity'. The First Minister and her Cabinet have overseen a service in steady decline - and now, in Powys, that decline has taken a bitter new turn. Let us not pretend this is just a local hiccup. It is the inevitable outcome of years of poor planning, underfunding, and warped priorities under a devolved administration that seems utterly detached from reality. If ever proof were needed that devolution has failed Wales, this is it. It has delivered neither competence nor accountability – only mediocrity, delay, and frustration.
