Llan man's cancer battle debated by AMs

* Stuart Davies spearheaded the prostate cancer campaign. 

A campaign by a Llangollen man for equal prostate cancer treatment to be available across the country has been debated in the Welsh Assembly.

Former county councillor Stuart Davies paid Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) nearly £900 for a multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) scan when a cancer that he'd beaten several years ago returned 18 months ago.

The mpMRI is a specific type of MRI scan that can give more detailed images of the prostate than a regular MRI scan.

The scan was recommended to Mr Davies by the health board as a way of specifically deciding upon the correct treatment for his cancer. After receiving the scan in 2017 he was shocked to learn that it is offered for free by other health boards in Wales.

Mr Davies started a petition to have the free scans rolled out across all of Wales and received over 6,345 signatures, warranting its discussion in the Senedd in Cardiff and last month Mr Davies marched on the capital, joined by fellow campaigners.

Before the petition was launched, just three of the seven health boards in Wales, offered mpMRI before biopsy and only one board provided to a standard high enough to safely rule men out of biopsy. This meant men in four health boards did not have access to mpMRI as a diagnostic test, unless they paid to have it done privately.
Yesterday Assembly Members debated the petition and North Wales AM  Mark Isherwood urged the Welsh Government to act on the campaigners' calls.

Wrexham Maelor Hospital's urology unit is one of 11 units across England and Wales that took part in the prostate MRI imaging study ‘PROMIS’ trial to discover improved ways of diagnosing prostate cancer.

Although the results showed that 93 per cent of aggressive cancers were detected by using the mpMRI scan to guide the biopsy compared with just 48 per cent where only a Transrectal ultrasound guided (TRUS) biopsy was carried out, men in North Wales have had to fund the scans themselves because they were not provided or funded by the health board in North Wales. 

Speaking in the debate, Mr Isherwood said that last March's announcement by NHS England that it was launching a one-stop service using MRI techniques to revolutionise prostate cancer treatment and slash the time taken for a diagnosis there was a game changer, that men’s lives here are being put at risk and that patients across Wales should not be left behind.

He said: ”Last December, NICE issued new draft guidance recommending pre-biopsy mpMRI for suspected Prostate Cancer, with final guidance expected next month.

“In January, the Health Minister wrote to members stating that he had asked all Health Boards to work with the Welsh Urology Board to ensure that they have full implementation plans within one month of this.

“In the same letter he stated that “Health Boards have confirmed that at present they deliver care in line with current NICE Guidance”.

“North Wales patients subsequently reiterated that care was not delivered in line with current NICE Guidance in their cases.

“North Wales Community Health Council stated that the Health Board have consistently declined to produce proof that they did any scans for men with rising PSA following a negative biopsy – and that they are co-ordinating refunds to all of their clients who did not receive scans in line with the 2014 guidance.

“They also state that their correspondence with the Health Minister gives them no comfort that he will intervene if they make the same decision on the pre-biopsy mpMRI guidance."

Mr Isherwood added: “This petition’s sponsor, Stuart Davies, states that interim arrangements should be put in place now so that men do not put their lives at risk, that although patients pay approximately £900, the cost to the NHS at Wrexham’s Spire Hospital is only £365 – and that men contacting the campaign say that they are either waiting for it to become free or are taking out loans to pay for their scan. 

“Last December, I attended a meeting with Mr Davies, the Health Board and Community Health Council, at which the Health Board apologised and offered to refund the money men had paid for scans.

“However, only this week, a constituent received a letter from the Health Board stating that “although current clinical advice suggests that the use of full diagnostic mpMRI may be beneficial … this has not yet been supported by NICE.

“Noting, however, that NICE has now backed mpMRI scans as a cost effective first-line investigation, Tenovus Cancer Care have called on the Welsh Government to ensure that mpMRI is available across Wales, stating that it is not available at Betsi Cadwaladr, Hywel Dda or Swansea Bay, and not available at PROMIS standards in Cardiff and Vale.

“As Prostate Cancer UK states, mpMRI revolutionises Prostate Cancer diagnosis, so let's listen to the experts with lived experience. These men have been telling the truth from the very beginning."

Lenten lunch at Holy Cross Church

Has Peugeot finally found a big saloon winner?

Steve Rogers gives his verdict on the new Peugeot 508.

IT'S bold and beautiful so is this the car that can crack the saloon car market for Peugeot?

Not that many of us are buying big saloons any more, and those that do tend to go up market for Audis, BMWs, Mercs and Jags.

Peugeot and large saloons have never gone down well here but the French company has a strong tradition - 405, 505, 607, even the outgoing 508 were all decent cars but the Brits have a thing about big French cars and drive past the showrooms. Renault and Citroen have already thrown in the towel so credit to Peugeot for trying again.

Although new 508 looks like a saloon it is actually a hatchback and that has helped the designers create that sweeping ever-so-low roofline which has thrown up a minor glitch but we will come to that later.

I liked the shape of the old model but up against this it does look a bit dull. There are lots of eye catching features, a sexy front, streak style daylight driving lights, coupe look roofline and a full width reflective strip along the tailgate.

Inside has been totally revamped with Peugeot's signature i-Cockpit layout. It is very much 21st century stuff with a 12.3 inch digital binnacle, interchangeable for layout and colour along with a central 10 inch touchscreen.

This switch-free zone came in for a lot of stick from the likes of me when it was first used in the 308 because it was all touch control and very irritating. Peugeot took the criticism and did a quick redesign for the next model creating 'piano key' toggle switches that not only solved the problem but added a stunning design feature to the dashboard.

If this is still all too baffling tune into to voice control and speak your commands for radio, navigation, mobile phone and heating controls.

Just about every car company is going down the digital route so we are going to have to live with it. On the plus side it brings so much more to car travel particularly for people with smart or i-phones, which is almost everyone.

The Peugeot is not as big as the Vauxhall Insignia, its rival and new partner, but passenger space is pretty good and there will be no complaints about legroom, even for six footers although taller folk will have something to say about the poor back seat headroom. Even my five foot nothing sister-in-law commented on how close her head was to the roof, and that's the penalty for the low roofline mentioned earlier.

But the switch to a hatchback is a success with more boot space and a wider opening for easy loading.

Even with switchable suspension settings the ride on my GT model is always firm but that is just a warning rather than a complaint. This car is set up to cope with aggressive driving and has far more grip than the average driver is ever going to need let alone use.

Peugeot has one of the strongest engine line ups and the 1.6 litre petrol under the bonnet here is the best. How they have managed to muster 225bhp is beyond me but the reward is razor sharp response right across the rev range. It reminded me of the stunning performance from the two litre 405 Mi-16 a quarter of a century ago.

Far be it from me to encourage anyone to exploit the GTs performance but should a driver get too eager there are so many safety features it is almost like driving in a protective bubble although the night vision view for the driver is a step too far for me. I want to be concentrating on the road not glancing down at a screen to see what's going on.

Is there anything that needs to be improved? The rear view camera definition is poor by today's standards and if proof is needed jump into a Volvo and see the difference.

Peugeot has done all it can to convince customers 508 is a worthy rival to the dominant German trio throwing down the gauntlet with a car full of presence, quality, performance and technology.

If Peugeot can't do it with this cracker it never will.

Fast facts

508 GT 8speed auto

£35,975 (starts £25,000)

1.6 litre; 225bhp

0-62mph 7.3secs; 155mph

49.6mpg combined

This test: 33-39mpg

131g/km. 1st road tax £205

Insurance group 34

Cyber crime bus to stop off in Llangollen

The importance of cyber security and the threats posed to businesses and individuals will be highlighted when a specially equipped cyber information bus visits Llangollen next week.

Funded by the Welsh Government and managed by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) for Southern Wales along with the North West ROCU, the bus travelling throughout Wales during March.

It will be on the Market Street car park in Llangollen between 10am and 1pm on Monday March 11.

The aim of the tour is to raise awareness of cyber security for individuals, groups and businesses, delivering key messaging in line with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the UK National Cyber Security Strategy.

The bus will be staffed by bilingual Police Cyber Protect Officers and other cyber security experts as well as partners such as Get Safe Online & the National Cyber Security Centre. The operating hours will be between midday and 8.00pm to allow for those unable to attend during working hours.

Statistics recently published by Action Fraud reveal that more than £190,000 a day are lost in the UK by victims of cyber-crime. More than a third of victims in that period fell prey to the hacking of social media and email accounts.

Action Fraud also say that £34.6m was reported to be stolen from victims between April and September 2018, a 24% increase on the previous six months.

The City of London Police, which runs Action Fraud, has warned people to keep separate passwords for online accounts.

Figures show that 13,357 people in the UK reported cyber-crimes over six months and over 5,000 of those people were hacked via their social media and email accounts, costing victims £14.8m.

Detective Constable Symon Kendall of Tarian said: “We aim to utilise the bus to speak to anyone who is interested in upskilling themselves and we can demonstrate scams and hacks.

“We will also be staging separate events in nearby premises for both business and the public where more formal cyber protect presentations and business cyber resilience table top exercises will take place.

“It is estimated that the vulnerability to cybercrime can be reduced by up to 80% by taking five key steps in increasing cyber security. We recognise that the majority of campaigns rely on social media and website information and the majority of cyber security events are attended by those with an interest in cyber security. As such we are not reaching the general public and small businesses. This project is designed to go some way towards remedying this.

“We know that nationally there is considerable under reporting of cybercrime and this affects our ability to combat the threat and by promoting Action Fraud as the National Fraud and Cybercrime Reporting Centre we will raise awareness of the services available.

“The overarching goal is to incorporate cyber safety and resilience into the national psyche which will in turn make Wales a more cyber resilient nation where it is safer to do business online.”

* For more details, go to:

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-cyber-security-advice-for-businesses-tickets-55959544504

MP to present new charity Bill in Parliament

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones, who co-chairs  the All Party Parliament Group for Charities and Volunteering , will today present the Charity Trustees (Time Off for Duties) Bill to Parliament.

The 10 Minute Rule Bill seeks to amend the Employment Rights Act 1996 to give charity trustees the right to time off work for the purposes of carrying out the duties of that office and for connected purposes.

Ms Jones (pictured) who worked for charities for 15 years before becoming an MP, will say in her speech: “The Charity Trustees (Time Off for Duties) Bill has two clear purposes. The first is to value our existing charity trustees by giving them an improved status in law. The second is to provide the sort of support that might encourage a greater number of people from a wider diversity of backgrounds to take on this important but unpaid civic duty."

Speaking about her Bill, the MP said: “Charity trustees do hugely important work in our communities and I think it’s high time they were treated the same as school governors, councillors, magistrates and others when it comes to being able to have a modest amount of unpaid time off to fulfil their duties.

"I am delighted that MPs from Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem parties are co-sponsoring this Bill and that it has won the support of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO), the Small Charities Coalition and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action."

£10,000 needed to finish final stretch of railway

After 45 years of building a railway line between two Denbighshire towns, volunteers at Llangollen Railway say they need £10,000 to finish the last stretch.

Ten miles (16km) of the heritage line has been rebuilt between Llangollen and Corwen, with a platform created at the end.

For the full story on the BBC website go to: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-47410158

Town's Royal Navy Association branch to close

Llangollen branch of the Royal Navy Association (RNA) is to close.

The branch was started many years ago by Bill Hallam at the Wynnstay - now the Three Eagles - and enjoyed by many with memories of the sea.

Spokesperson Trefor Williams said: "Sadly, membership numbers have gradually declined.

"The nearest RNA branches are at Wrexham and Oswestry, which continue to thrive."

He added: "There will be a small ceremony at the war memorial at 11am on Thursday, March 21 in St Collen' Church where the standard will be laid up.

"Many thanks to all that have supported the branch. Thanks too must go to RAFA Club which has played host to our meetings in recent years."