THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 27 2017


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3 News Carparksurgery for cataractpatients


PRESSURED NHS managers


have set up a mobile service unit at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest to try and relieve pressure on the waiting list for cataract operations in West Wales. The news follows criticism by


politicians, including Angela Burns AM, who told The Herald that a 107- day wait for a cataract operation meant that local patients were literally going blind while they wait for a simple corrective procedure. Speaking last week, she said:


“These interminable delays are causing untold pain and suffering to patients, whose diseases and chronic conditions are progressing unabated while the Welsh NHS decongests itself and targets are routinely missed.” Eyesight is the one sense people


fear losing the most. Many eye diseases which cause sight loss are more common in older people and our ageing population means the demand on ophthalmology in our local hospital, like all areas of healthcare, is increasing like never before.


Thomas Sinclair Editor


editor@herald.email Hywel Dda have now confirmed


to The Herald that a mobile operating theatre will provide much needed cataract surgery for nearly 700 patients living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire in the coming weeks. A fully equipped Vanguard Health


Services mobile hospital unit, provided by DMC Healthcare, is currently being installed at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest. It is planned that surgery will


commence on Wednesday (Feb 1) and conclude on March 31. Across the Hywel Dda University


Health Board (UHB) area, there are currently 1,500 people who have waited over 36 weeks for cataract surgery. Patients could go blind altogether if


surgery is not done in time. It is hoped the emergency measure will ensure patients who have waited the


longest are treated quickly. It will also bring the added benefit of significantly reducing waiting times for cataract surgery across the three counties. Joe Teape, Director of Operations


and Deputy Chief Executive at Hywel Dda UHB, told The Herald: “The commissioning of this temporary mobile theatre recognises that too many of our patients have waited over the 36 week waiting target. “Our contract with DMC Healthcare


will ensure nearly 700 surgeries will be provided by substantive NHS surgeons from England with excellent audit data. A thorough process of due diligence has taken place to ensure the highest levels of patient safety are followed. “This will allow our eye care


teams across the three counties to move forward with a more sustainable solution to managing treatment waiting lists and better utilise existing staff and resources.” The Health Board says that


the field hospital has ‘a modern clinical environment consisting of an anaesthetic room; operating theatre; two bed first-stage recovery area; and staff changing rooms'. They added: “The Laminar Flow


Theatre Unit provides all that patients would expect to see in hospital.” Phil Curran, Managing Director


of DMC Healthcare, stated: “To date, 84% of patients contacted have been booked into surgery. We are confident that our provision of this unit will help the teams throughout Hywel Dda UHB area offer their patients the highest standard of care and reduce waiting lists. We are delighted to be associated with the project and look forward to reviewing the outcomes.” Recently, the National Patient


Safety Agency (NSPA) received 44 reports of concerns about patient safety across the UK due to delays in appointments for glaucoma patients, of whom 13 went blind over a four year


Angela Burns AM: Local patients were going blind whist waiting


period. The Rapid Response Report that followed asked for hospital bosses to open dialogue about data collection and to introduce safety measures to prevent delays for patients who were waiting for treatments or monitoring.


Mobile Unit: Hundreds of cataracts operations over the next few weeks


Patrols to combat vehicle flaggers THE POLICE have recently


received separate reports of small groups of males attempting to flag vehicles down during the hours of darkness in location on the old Murco unclassified road between Hebrandston and Tiers Cross. The first incident occurred on


Saturday, January 7. A second incident occurred


at approximately 10.10pm on Wednesday, January 25. Dyfed-Powys Police continues to


conduct enquiries into these incidents and urges anyone with information on this matter or anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to call 101.


High visibility vehicle patrols


are being carried out in the area and members of the public are urged to be alert when travelling this section of the road. Consider locking doors when travelling in that area and if attempts are made to stop your vehicle, keep driving as long as it is safe to do so. If anything of this nature happens


to you, or if you see any suspicious behaviour in that area, call 999 as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any information that you have not already reported to the police that could assist with police enquiries is urged to call police on 101.


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