Scarlets Head Coach Wayne Pivac has given the latest on the region’s injuries ahead of this weekend’s Guinness PRO14 clash against Southern Kings at Parc y Scarlets.

He said: “James (Davies) has ruptured his PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), so I don’t think we’ll see him this side of Christmas.

“I guess with Will Boyde and Josh Macleod we’ve got three in the same position. They’d all been coming along nicely. To lose all three it has made it a little bit difficult.

“It’s a massive blow to lose James, especially with another two 7s out, it puts a real strain on the team. He’s a quality player, everyone knows that. He’s a big part of how we play the game.

“He’s become a leader in the group. He was stepping up nicely in that classroom role and as a senior player in the group. He’ll be sorely missed but it’s just one of those things. We can’t do anything about injury.”

Pivac is hopeful that both Boyde and Macleod will be available for selection for the first derby game of the season, against the Ospreys, next month.

Centre Jonathan Davies pulled out during the warm up ahead of the clash against Leinster but Pivac is hopeful that he’s ready to make a full recovery.

Pivac said: “Jon’s looking really good, he’ll take part fully in training this week and we’d hope to have him involved on the weekend.

“Leigh (Halfpenny) had a bit of a knock to an ankle, hopefully by the later part of the week he’ll be running around with us. I’d be very surprised if he’s not available for the Ospreys.

“Clayton (Blommetjies) will be involved in some shape or form this week. Steff (Evans) has been doing the work in terms of fitness and sharpness after coming back from quite a serious knee injury. There’s a good chance he’ll be involved on the weekend aswell. Rob (Evans) is probably on track for the Ospreys week as well.”

Scarlets welcome Southern Kings to Parc y Scarlets this Saturday, kick-off 18:30. 

‘Hands off Prince Philip Hospital!’

That’s the defiant message aimed at Hywel Dda University Health Board officials from Llanelli Rural councillors, who are ready to do whatever is legally necessary to safeguard and retain the existing suite of clinical services at Prince Philip Hospital.

The Rural Council is determined in its quest to prevent the downgrading of the hospital to a community hospital.

Up until now the council has taken a watching brief over affairs associated with the Health Board’s 12-week public consultation – ‘Hywel Dda – Our Big NHS Change’.

However, in anticipation of the Health Board’s extraordinary meeting due to be held and webcast from Carmarthenshire County Council’s Chambers tomorrow (Wednesday 26 September) – where a future health service model will be discussed for the region – Llanelli Rural Council has already begun preparing contingency plans to robustly challenge any model which does not support the retention of Prince Philip Hospital as a Local General Hospital.

Council Leader Councillor Tegwen Devichand said: “The council has considered various options depending on the direction of travel to be taken by the Health Board but they should have no doubt; the council is ready to act.

“We recognise that other stakeholders are also ready to challenge the Health Board so first and foremost the council expresses its appreciation and thanks for the passion demonstrated by the public and also the local lobby group SOSPPAN which the council has supported in gathering signatures for the petition recently submitted to Welsh Government officials at The Senedd in Cardiff.

“The council has been here before, back in 2012, when former Health Board officials attempted to remove Accident and Emergency services from Prince Philip.

“Had it not been for the solidarity demonstrated by the local community in taking the fight to the Health Board in the aftermath of proposals advocated in its previous public consultation on health services – ‘Your Health, Your Future’ then quite simply we wouldn’t have the current Front of House arrangements and Acute Medical Assessment Unit we rely on today at the hospital.

“The local lobbying and subsequent engagement with the former Health Board culminated in the autumn of 2015 with Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, receiving £1.4million investment to improve services for people needing emergency medical and other unscheduled care.

“At the time, doctors and clinical staff, working alongside community representatives, including Hywel Dda Community Health Council, Llanelli Rural Council and lobby groups such as the Committee for Improving Hospital Services CIHS/SOSPPAN; were delighted with the outcome.

“The Front of House project focussed on six different areas of care – substance misuse, frailty, mental health, acute medicine, minor illnesses and minor injuries.  The aim was to ensure that people came into the hospital and saw the best person to provide them with definitive treatment as quickly as possible so I can’t understand why the Health Board is contemplating changing these arrangements.  It doesn’t make sense when you consider the large population base the hospital serves.  Furthermore, leading medical clinicians expressed the view at the time that the creation of a new ‘front of house’ would provide direct admission to the Acute Medical Assessment unit when patients were referred by a GP or arrive by ambulance.  This has led to the delivery of improvements to unscheduled care by reducing assessment times and allowing quicker access to a senior consultant for the sickest of patients.

“The Front of House project has proved to be a success and has been showcased as an exemplar model for other Health Boards and hospitals throughout Wales to follow.  To propose Prince Philip should be subjected to the scaling down of clinical services in the wake of what has been put in place at the hospital is totally unacceptable and doesn’t stack up financially bearing in mind the large amount of capital investment injected into the hospital.

“Rest assured, the public can expect the council to do everything in its power to look after their interests by safeguarding services at Prince Philip.  We will do this directly and through working with other community stakeholders if and when it is appropriate to do so.  Prince Philip must retain its status as a Local General Hospital.”

Hywel Dda University Health Board is celebrating today after winning a NHS Wales Award at the 11th anniversary of the awards.

A project on “Developing a virtual pulmonary rehabilitation (VIPAR) service model to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities“ won the Improving Health And Wellbeing and Reducing Inequalities award, supported by Welsh Local Government Association.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething, who attended the ceremony, said, “The NHS Wales Awards are a national showcase for excellence and celebrate best practice in improving patient care across Wales. It’s a great opportunity to learn from each other and recognise the inspiring innovation of our NHS staff. 

“Every finalist should be proud to be shortlisted for an award. I am humbled to see such passion and dedication to improving services provided across Wales. This is even more important and of even greater value with the increasing challenges that we face across our health and social care system”. 

Steve Moore, the Health Board’s Chief Executive said: “I’m incredibly proud of the team involved in this fantastic achievement! It’s because of the hard work, determination and enthusiasm of our staff to improve services and outcomes for our patients that initiatives like VIPAR are so successful. Congratulations to everyone involved!”

The Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) service has worked in partnership with Comcen and Polycom to develop a hub and spoke model of delivery using video-conferencing to link the hub (based at Glangwili General Hospital) to a spoke site (based in Tregaron Hall). This new way of working is successfully addressing the service’s staffing challenges, meeting patients’ needs, and upholding the principles of prudent healthcare.

The aim is to add up to another three spoke sites linking simultaneously to the hub site, creating a Virtual Pulmonary Rehabilitation (VIPAR) network.

Health improvements were gained by all participants attending the programme, with comparable results between the hub and spoke site participants. The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score has decreased for both hub and spoke site, and post intervention hospital anxiety and depressions scores have also decreased.

VIPAR has been shown to be a feasible and safe service, popular with staff and patients, and one which both saves money and reduces environmental impact.

The NHS Wales Awards are organised by 1000 Lives Improvement, the national improvement service for NHS Wales delivered by Public Health Wales. The Awards were launched in 2008 to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the NHS and recognise and promote good practice across Wales.

Entries were received from a range of organisations, revealing a high standard of innovative and diverse work that is transforming patient care across Wales.

To read more about all of the winners visit www.nhswalesawards.wales.nhs.uk

There’s a chance for you to have your say on the future of arts and culture in Carmarthenshire and the part to be played by the Oriel Myrddin Gallery in Carmarthen.

The special OMG Have Your Say event is on Wednesday, October 3.

Details below –

The spotlight is on dementia friendly theatre at Ffwrnes in Llanelli this week.

Canoe Theatre and Theatrau Sir Gâr present A Dementia Friendly production of This Incredible Life, by Alan Harris, directed by Julia Thomas and starring Sharon Morgan and Christopher Elson.

Mab has spent her life telling stories.

Incredible stories.

She was a jet-setting journalist, putting people’s lives into print.

As a young boy, her nephew Robert, hung on her every word.

He doesn’t listen anymore.

In a time when fake news has made it into the vernacular, and the line between fact and fiction becomes blurred, does truth really matter?

Let Alan Harris’ latest comedy sweep you off your feet with live music, film and a story that will lift the spirits and warm your heart, MGM style.

What is a “Dementia Friendly” performance?

The play has been created to enable a relaxed audience experience:

• The theatre will be well lit with comfortable sound levels.
• There will be more space between seats.
• You can leave the theatre and re-enter as and when you need to.
• Refreshments will be served.
• Friendly volunteers will help and direct throughout the day.

Ffwrness, Llanelli: Friday 28 September

• 10.30-11.30am – Dementia Friends Session with The Alzheimer’s Society: Drop into this nationwide initiative where you can learn more about dementia and the small ways that you can help.
• 12:00pm-12:45pm – Sing and Smile with Goldies Cymru
• 12.45-1.30pm – Lunch and Table top activities with young volunteers from PeopleSpeakUp
• 1.30-3pm Dementia Friendly performance of This Incredible Life, with refreshments and meet the actors afterwards. (click here to book tickets)

To find out more contact Eleanor on 07972 651920 or email info@peoplespeakup.co.uk

Show Dates

• 26 September, 19:30BOOK NOW
• 27 September, 19:30BOOK NOW
• 28 September, 13:30BOOK NOW
• 28 September, 19:00BOOK NOW