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Wales Online
5 days ago
- Health
- Wales Online
'Enough is enough' as fears grow over future of Welsh hospital
'Enough is enough' as fears grow over future of Welsh hospital The health board has launched a public consultation looking at potential changes after classifying nine key services as 'critical' Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest (Image: Western Mail ) Concerns are mounting over potential service cuts at Pembrokeshire's Withybush Hospital following proposals from the health board that include transferring patients requiring specialist critical care to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen. Hywel Dda University Health Board initiated a public consultation on May 29, which will run until August 31, regarding possible changes. The board has categorised nine key services as 'critical', asserting that immediate reorganisation is essential. The identified services include critical care, dermatology, emergency general surgery, endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, radiology, stroke, and urology. There will be no alterations to how individuals access emergency care (A&E) or minor injury care. This has sparked worries that some services currently offered at Withybush Hospital may be moved to other hospitals within the health board's jurisdiction. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . In terms of critical care, three options include intensive care units remaining at Bronglais and Glangwili, an enhanced care unit being established at Withybush and Prince Philip, or patients at Prince Philip or Withybush requiring specialist critical care being transferred to Glangwili. At present, full emergency general surgery services, including surgical operations, for adults are provided at Glangwili, Bronglais and Withybush. Patients from Prince Philip are transported to Glangwili. The consultation presents two options in this area. Article continues below Consultant surgeons specialising in emergency general surgery will be stationed at Bronglais and Glangwili hospitals to provide comprehensive emergency services, including surgical procedures. Patients from Withybush requiring surgery will be transferred to Glangwili for their operations and then brought back to Withybush to recuperate when they are well enough. The arrangement for emergency general surgery consultants will see them based at Bronglais and alternating between Glangwili and Withybush weekly to carry out surgeries. Local Senedd Members Paul Davies MS and Samuel Kurtz MS have emphasised the crucial role of Withybush Hospital. Paul Davies, who has consistently opposed the reduction of services at Withybush, commented: "This consultation is the latest in a long line of consultations that have all resulted in vital services being cut at Withybush hospital – and enough is enough. "It is not acceptable for the people of Pembrokeshire to have to travel further for vital health services and I will be fiercely campaigning against Hywel Dda University Health Board's latest proposals. "Withybush Hospital has been under attack for years because of the health board's ideological pursuit of a shiny new hospital elsewhere in west Wales. Withybush Hospital and the people it serves deserve support and investment, not more cuts. The Welsh Government should intervene and ensure that services stay put at Withybush hospital." The proposed new 'super hospital' is not anticipated to materialise in the forthcoming decade, as previously indicated by the health board. Sam Kurtz MS, a native of Withybush, expressed his concerns: "The loss of vital services at Withybush, including SCBU, consultant-led maternity, and children's A&E, remains deeply felt by local people. The removal of one service often renders others unviable." He further warned: "If any further service loss were to threaten the viability of the A&E department, that would be wholly unacceptable and would be a red line. It would be met with fierce opposition from the community, and I will be standing shoulder to shoulder with them in that fight." On financial matters, Pembrokeshire cabinet member, Councillor Alistair Cameron, who has voiced worries about the proposals at full council sessions, stated: "We all know the health board is struggling to deliver many of its services and it has described nine of its services as fragile." Regarding the health services' future, he added: "It has now issued a 44-page summary document on the future of these fragile services. The board needs to clearly explain the options it is looking at and make sure everyone gets a chance to have a say." Councillor Cameron also raised concerns about patient accessibility to treatments: "I can see some options involve patients having to travel further for essential treatments and that will be a major concern. There will be 11 consultative events in West Wales plus online events. However, the board needs to reach out to those who cannot make the events and do not have access to a computer." Article continues below During the May 29 meeting, medical director Mr Mark Henwood stated: "No decisions have been made on the options presented, and there are currently no preferred solutions. The changes we are looking to make are to ensure we have safe, high-quality services and affordable healthcare in the future, and have at their heart the best interests of the people of west Wales and their patient experience."
Pembrokeshire Herald
13-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Welsh unemployment remains highest in UK for eighth consecutive month
Calls for reform as business closures outpace new start-ups WALES continues to record the highest unemployment rate in the UK, according to the latest labour market figures published for March 2025. The unemployment rate rose from 4.8% in February to 5.2%, marking the eighth consecutive month that Wales has topped the UK unemployment rankings. The figures also show that Wales has the lowest employment rate of any UK nation, raising concerns about the resilience of the Welsh economy amid ongoing inflationary pressures and a sluggish post-pandemic recovery. Business formation remains a challenge, with new start-ups continuing to be outnumbered by business closures. Analysts have pointed to factors such as high business rates, uncertainty in the tourism sector, and limited access to investment as contributing to the economic stagnation. In response, the Welsh Conservatives have renewed calls for economic reform, including major changes to the business rates system. Samuel Kurtz MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Energy, said: 'Under Labour, our economy is failing: unemployment is rising, and Wales remains the least competitive part of the UK. Business closures continue to outnumber new start-ups, and we are burdened with the highest business rates in Britain. Welsh Conservatives want to build a Wales that is open for business. We would overhaul business rates, slashing them for town centres and abolishing them entirely for small businesses, and scrap Labour's damaging tourism tax to stop penalising a vital sector of our economy.' However, Welsh Government ministers argue that economic challenges are being felt across the UK and that Wales is making targeted investments in growth sectors. A spokesperson said: 'We are investing in skills, infrastructure and green energy to ensure a more sustainable and competitive Welsh economy. While the figures are disappointing, they reflect wider UK and global economic headwinds. We continue to support businesses through a range of funding schemes and remain committed to creating long-term employment opportunities.' Independent economists suggest that while structural challenges remain, Wales could benefit from renewable energy development, tech start-ups, and tourism—if supported by tailored policy reforms and investment incentives. Pictured above: Samuel Kurtz MS: Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Energy
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grim figures reveal scale of problem with Wales' 'economically inactive'
The number of people in Wales not seeking work and deemed economically inactive would fill the Principality Stadium nearly seven times over. Wales also has the lowest employment rate of any UK nation or region. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the unemployment rate from November to January in Wales fell marginally by 0.1% on the previous quarter, but at 5.4% remains higher than the rate for the UK as a whole of 4.4%. While the ONS' Labour Force Survey does come with a question mark as it moves to a more robust surveying model, of the nations and regions of the UK, only in London (6.3%) was the unemployment higher than the 5.4% in Wales. The latest quarterly figures also show Wales having the lowest employment rate of working age adults of any UK nation or region at just 69.9%, compared to a UK average of 75%. Of working age adults, Wales has an economic inactivity rate of 26%, compared to 21.5% for the UK as a whole. It was only higher in the north east of England (26.1%) and Northern Ireland 26.6%. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here READ MORE: Right-wing internet celebrity announces Cardiff show READ MORE: Magical street food festivals return to Welsh woodlands, coasts and castles this spring The number of economically inactive, defined as people not seeking employment and which includes those on long-term sick and students. stands at 503,000. While up on the quarter by 15,000, it was down 14,000 on the year. Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Energy, Samuel Kurtz MS said: "It is no surprise that our economy is struggling, as Wales is in desperate need of a new economic policy. Rather than the jobs first approach that Wales urgently requires, we find ourselves in the unfortunate position of facing punitive taxation on individuals and businesses at both ends of the M4. "The UK Labour government's emergency budget next week must ease the burden on Welsh businesses to unlock economic growth. Rachel Reeves' jobs tax and family farm tax must be scrapped to restore much-needed confidence in our economy. Alongside this, Welsh Labour's excessive business rates, the highest in the United Kingdom with lower relief, and their impending toxic tourism tax cast an even darker economic shadow over businesses in Wales." The ONS said regular average wages growth was unchanged at 5.9% in the three months to January, staying at the highest level since the three months to April last year. Wages outstripped Consumer Prices Index inflation by 3.2%, the ONS added. In an encouraging sign, the ONS said vacancies rose by 1,000 to 816,000 in the three months to February, which is the first rise since the quarter to June, 2022. There was also some optimism in the real-time payroll figures, showing 21,000 more workers on UK payrolls last month to 30.4 million, after increasing by a downwardly-revised 9,000 in January. Warnings from firms are mounting over job losses and price rises due to the incoming increase in national insurance contributions and the minimum wage rise due to take effect next month. Official figures last week also showed the economy contracted by 0.1% in January. Paige Tao, economist at PwC UK, said the recent economic indicators signalled the UK economy remains 'in 'wait-and-see' mode'. She added: 'Today's release (ONS) provides little respite for the Chancellor as she faces growing pressure ahead of her Spring Statement. Confidence needs a boost, and businesses will be watching carefully, with hiring and investment seemingly still on ice.' Elliott Jordan-Doak at Pantheon Macroeconomics said the jobs market was 'holding up despite terrible mood music from firms and has improved in the past two months'. But he said there were also signs of 'some cracks appearing', with redundancies rising for the first time in a year, to 124,000 (UK) in the three months to January. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall insisted the figures 'demonstrate the scale of the challenge we're still facing to get Britain working again'. She added: 'The reforms I have announced will ensure everyone who can work gets the active support they need." The Welsh Government said it would not be commenting on ONS' Labour Force Survey data whilst warnings around them remained in place.
