Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) and Dyfed-Powys Police have developed a computer system which will improve efficiency in the event of a major incident. Hywel Dda UHB and Dyfed-Powys Police have been working in partnership to develop the system which will allow Dyfed-Powys Police officers to access their police computer systems over a secure Internet connection, from Hywel Dda UHB computers. Officers will have a dedicated room in Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest, where they can access the system and, last month, representatives of both Hywel Dda UHB and Dyfed-Powys Police met at Withybush Hospital’s Emergency Department to mark its launch. During an emergency or a major incident (such as a fire or flood) the system will enable the transfer of generic patient information from Withybush, Glangwili or Bronglais Hospitals to a specialist Police Documentation Team at Police Headquarters (HQ), Carmarthen. The information transfer system enables Dyfed-Powys Police and Hywel Dda UHB ...

Action is to be taken to prevent bad parking blocking fire appliances getting to emergency calls in Llanelli. Firemen were forced to abandon their appliance and run down a blocked Bryn Road in their breathing apparatus to attend a 999 call. There have been two emergency calls to Bryn Road Llanelli last year (2014) with the fire engine unable to get to the threatened houses because of the badly parked cars. The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service are calling for enforceable double yellow line parking restrictions to prevent delays in any future incidents with bad double banked parking causing delays and potential fatalities. The fire services station response manager, Justin Lewis, has advised the Carmarthenshire Council engineering and transport teams of the two incidents on Bryn Road in 2014 where a fire appliance was blocked from continuing along the street because of double parking on the western end of the road. During one of the incidents, fire officers had no choice othe...

Prince Philip Hospital will continue to be a pivotal hospital for the people of Llanelli and the wider Hywel Dda health board. It will provide care and assessment for medical emergencies, minor injuries and also highly specialised planned (elective) services, as is currently the case. Hywel Dda Health Board’s preferred option for the hospital is to provide high quality care for all those of patients who should currently attend the Llanelli hospital in an improved way. It wants to bring medical emergency patients (eg patients with strokes, diabetes, infections and asthma attacks) directly into the hospital through an Emergency Medical Admission Unit. This unit would be consultant led and available 24 hours, seven days a week. The plans would improve the assessment and management for the most unwell medical patients. Dr Phil Kloer said: “This is an improvement for medically unwell patients as they will come directly into the hospital, bypassing the walk-in unit and with only one ass...

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Representatives from the emergency services and other agencies visited Caldey Island to provide information and advice to islanders about keeping safe in the event of a fire, crime or medical emergency. Officers from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Dyfed Powys Police, Welsh Ambulance Service and Environment Agency Wales met with resident monks, local community representatives and tourists on the island. The purpose of the visit was to increase the islanders awareness across a whole range of issues including fire safety, environmental awareness and offering advice on emergency action to take in the event of crime, fire or a medical emergency.

A large, multi-agency maritime pollution exercise is due to take place in South West Wales this week. Exercise Celtic Coast - involving the emergency services, several local authorities and other agencies - will be staged over two days, Wednesday, 5th October and Thursday, 6th October. It aims to ensure agencies can respond in a co-ordinated and efficient manner to an incident involving both oil and chemical pollution from shipping, thus minimising the impact on the community and the environment. Celtic Coast involves a series of table-top exercises accompanied by the live deployment of resources and equipment both at sea and on shore in the Milford Haven waterway and at Pembrey Country Park. Individual agencies regularly carry out their own pollution response exercises. However this exercise will involve multiple agencies. Agencies taking part include Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Powys County Councils; the Environment Agency Wales; Milford Haven Port Authority; the M...