22 News Ramblers’ January walks


sick children have been thanked for continuing to provide high quality, compassionate care, as Hywel Dda University Health Board receives new figures monitoring a temporary service change at Withybush Hospital Paediatric and Ambulatory Care Unit (PACU). A meeting of the full Health Board


took place on Thursday (Jan 26) at the Phoenix Community Centre in Goodwick and papers published last Friday (Jan 20) include a monitoring report into paediatric services. At the last Health Board meeting


THE PEMBROKESHIRE RAMBLERS’ most recent event, on Saturday, January 14, was a 7.5 mile circular walk from Skrinkle Haven car park along the coastal path, via Manorbier, to Swanlake Bay. 23 walkers set off at 10.30am


under clear skies for Manorbier beach, where a short coffee break was taken. The wind had increased by this time but after leaving the beach, the sun reappeared and conditions improved for the steady climb along East Moor cliffs to Swanlake Bay for lunch. After lunch, the coast path was


left behind and the route was inland to the road then downhill to Manorbier Castle.


There is a new path, cleared by


National Park volunteers, that runs adjacent to the rear of the castle walls so the group followed this to the main entrance of the castle. The route was then along the paths


north of Hill Farm to the entrance of Manorbier camp and onto the coast path. Before reaching the start point


at the car park, the more adventurous Ramblers took the steps down to view the church doors. The group arrived back at the cars


by 3.15pm. At the event previous to that, on


Saturday, January 7, 27 Pembrokeshire Ramblers arrived at Llangwm Community Centre on a rather misty morning - but at least it was not pouring down like the previous day. Conditions were difficult initially


with lots of mud, slippery slopes, and protruding roots providing trip hazards. The Ramblers headed off in a


westerly direction, passing Badger woods, before heading up to Sardis and crossing the Burton to Haverfordwest road. Coffee was taken in one of the fields, together with a birthday biscuit. Roads and tracks were then used,


which was a pleasant change from the mud.


The route then went along


Thurston Lane, turning off to Great Westfield farm, and passing Cwtch


Camping. Continuing in an easterly direction,


they crossed wooded areas and open fields, parallel to the cycle track and overlooking Westfield Pill towards Honeyborough. Houghton Moor was soon reached


and lunch was enjoyed in the play park in Houghton, with most people finding a seat.


Heading down Rhoose Ferry


Road, the Ramblers passed through Benton Farm and soon came to the track leading down through Benton Woods to the bottom of Port Lion. Most Ramblers hadn’t seen the new views since NRW felled most of the conifers and although misty, the views were still impressive. The walk finished with a short


stretch along the shore in Llangwm Ferry, and then the group headed back over the stepping stones to the Community Centre. The Cottage Inn was warm and inviting and most walkers enjoyed a drink before heading home.


in November, members agreed to a temporary change in provision of some children’s services due to a shortage of paediatric consultants at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest. This has meant since the start of December, the PACU at Withybush Hospital has been open 10am-6pm (a reduction in four hours from the usual service), with children needing an overnight stay or paediatric assessment at night being transferred to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen. The most recent report details


activity still provided at Withybush Hospital for children, as well as the affect of the change on Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen. No adverse clinical incidents have been reported and no formal complaints have been received by the Health Board since the temporary arrangements were introduced. Current monitoring also shows it is affecting very few families per day, actually slightly less than the expected range of between one and two a day.


Chief Executive Steve Moore said:


“The Board were clear in November that the changes to paediatric services are temporary and in response to us needing to ensure a safe and reliable service for our families with the consultant paediatricians available. It is reassuring to see figures that confirm the change has been closely managed and also to hear of the progress that is being made in terms of recruitment into the service. “I want to publicly thank our current


staff working in paediatric services across our area for their continued commitment, hard work and dedication. In a difficult period of change and challenge, they continue to provide excellent care to our population. Just this week we were contacted by a Pembrokeshire family who wished to thank our paediatric NHS staff for their care and compassion – and I know this happens at a ward level across our hospitals every day.” The Health Board has recently


recruited into a locum (temporary) paediatric consultant post, which should be in place by March 2017. Recruitment activities continue for vacant substantive posts and a bespoke paediatric consultant recruitment campaign is due to launch shortly. Mr Moore said: “We remain fully


committed in our efforts to recruit, but it is a challenge that we not only face in Hywel Dda, but across the UK and


THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 27 2017


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Staff caring for sick children thanked HOSPITAL staff caring for


indeed the globe for this speciality. We are confident that the new service model is attractive and that our hospitals have a lot to offer consultants, doctors, nurses, therapists and other support staff, and we are promoting this at every opportunity.” Dr Simon Fountain-Polley, Clinical


lead for Child and Adolescent Health for Hywel Dda University Health Board, said:“Most unwell children are managed at home by their families - luckily few need assessment by the paediatric team - and many more are seen by our colleagues in A&E and by their family doctors. No child has suffered a clinically significant adverse effect from these changes; indeed, the model of care has been designed so that as a whole service we are providing the safest care possible. Our paediatric team continue to work closely with those who use the service, and generally they seem to be adjusting well. Their feedback is invaluable and we are using it to help improve what we do.” Families in Pembrokeshire are


reminded they should access services in exactly the same way as they have been doing for the last two years, with overnight arrangements starting from 6pm instead of 10pm. This service model was independently reviewed by paediatric healthcare experts from the Royal Colleges who concluded the model was better meeting standards of care.


If your child is unwell, you can do a number of things: Call NHS Direct Wales – 0845 46


47 – where they can advise you if you are unsure what to do, as well as provide health information on a wide range of conditions, treatment and local health services. Use your community pharmacy if


open. Make an appointment with your


GP as usual, including out-of-hours GP services, which are contacted through your normal GP telephone number. For a paediatric minor injury, go to


Withybush Emergency and Urgent Care Centre (EUCC) 24 hours a day. In an emergency, if your child


is very sick, you should dial 999 for assistance. Children who present at Withybush Hospital out-of-hours will usually be transferred to Glangwili Hospital for paediatric input. In the exceptional circumstance where emergency resuscitation is required, emergency and anaesthetic staff will resuscitate, stabilise, and arrange transfer onto another hospital In the meantime, the Health Board


continues to reduce the impact on families as much as possible. This includes provision of the dedicated ambulance vehicle for transfers between Withybush and Glangwili hospitals, provision of funded transport schemes such as that provided by Action for Children, help under the NHS Travel Costs scheme and, in exceptional circumstances where no alternatives are available, vulnerable families will be provided with a paid-for taxi to return home.


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