Use 999 responsibly over bank holiday, says ambulance service

The Welsh Ambulance Service is appealing to people to use 999 responsibly this Bank Holiday weekend.

Traditionally, the service will see an increase in demand on Bank Holidays as people take advantage of the long weekend – and this weekend is expected to be no different.

Lee Brooks, the Trust’s Director of Operations, said: “More people are out and about socialising with family and friends on the Bank Holiday weekends, and this can lead to more people becoming ill or suffering injuries and requiring medical attention.

“While there are plans in place to deal with the increase in demand, we only have a limited number of crews and vehicles available which means that we need to prioritise those sickest patients first.

“It also means that people not facing a serious or life-threatening emergency could wait longer for a response or be asked to seek alternatives to an ambulance response.

“We certainly don’t want to discourage people from calling 999 in a genuine emergency, but are asking people to consider whether an emergency ambulance is the most appropriate service for their needs.”

Examples of when to call 999 include choking, chest pain, stroke, serious blood loss and unconsciousness.

Using 999 correctly helps crews to reach those patients most in need of clinical attention.

“Our clinical staff often find themselves responding to patients who have reported a serious condition only to find they have a minor illness or injury which could have been treated by an alternative service,” said Lee.

August has been an exceptionally busy month for the Welsh Ambulance Service already.

Wednesday 12 August, which was the hottest day of the year in Wales, was its busiest day of the year so far second only to New Year’s Day.

The service is reminding the public of the alternatives to 999.

Lee said: “If you’re ill and unsure what to do, please visit 111.wales.nhs.uk for advice and information or to take a symptom checker quiz.

“Alternatively, visit a pharmacy, your GP or a Minor Injury Unit.

“You can also call 111 to speak to a Nurse Advisor, or 0845 46 47 if it’s not available in your area.

“Keep yourselves and others safe so that emergency ambulances are available for those who need them most.

“We also continue to live with the presence of Covid-19 and so we need to continue to follow the guidance from Public Health Wales and Welsh Government.”

Anyone visiting Wales this weekend should remember to bring any essential medicines and stock up on repeat prescriptions before they travel.

Kiosk to be taken over by Denbighshire Leisure, says councillor

* The kiosk in Riverside Park.

Following social media speculation about what its future might be, one of the area's county councillors has outlined what is due to happen to the kiosk in Riverside Park.

The cafe facility has been closed since the start of lockdown and there were fears it might not open again.

But Llangollen county councillor Melvyn Mile has told llanblogger: "I’ve been informed that Denbighshire Leisure will be refurbishing the kiosk and will be operating it themselves."

Denbighshire Leisure is the private firm which oversees leisure centres, community facilities, theatres and attractions on behalf of the county counil. 

MP congratulates Sun Trevor on its lockdown renovations

* Sun Trevor owners Paul and Katy Jones, their daughters Seren and Darcey, dog Poppy and Simon Baynes MP.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes made a socially- distanced visit to The Sun Trevor near Llangollen to learn more about how the team has used the time during lockdown to upgrade facilities.

Mr Baynes met owners Paul and Katy Jones as well as their daughters Seren and Darcey, and dog Poppy. 

He was also joined on the visit by Chirk town councillor Gareth Baines.

Paul and Katy used lockdown to refurbish areas including the kitchen and toilets, which now have full disabled facilities. And they have been working on converting the nearby stables into holiday lets.

The team received the Travellers’ Choice Award on Tripadvisor for consistently earning great reviews from travellers and for being ranked within the top 10% of hospitality businesses on the site.

Paul Jones said: “I want to thank my wife Katy and our family and friends for their support and for their hard work at the pub. 

"I’m also extremely grateful to our staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure we could re-open safely and on time. It’s great to finally be able to welcome customers back and we’re so appreciative of everyone’s support.”

Simon Baynes said: "The whole team at The Sun Trevor have done an incredible job earning the Travellers’ Choice Award. 

"Their Quiz evenings on Zoom during lockdown have been a hit with the local community and have really added to The Sun Trevor’s reputation as friendly, community-spirited pub. 

"It’s great to see a local business doing so well and I wish them every success for the future.”

Councillor gives more details on Active Travel plans approved yesterday

* The county council's plan for changes to be made in the town centre.

Local county councillor Graham Timms has given more details about the Active Travel plans approved yesterday by Denbighshire to allow social distancing in Llangollen town centre.

The council had successfully bid for Welsh Government funds to introduce local sustainable transport measures in response to covid-19. 

The funding will be used to promote walking and cycling, to facilitate social distancing measures, to encourage businesses to expand their offer outside their premises and to support residents and visitors to feel safe in four of the county's town centres.

Following consultation, the proposals for Llangollen have now been given the go-ahead, as revealed yesterday evening by llanblogger.

Giving further details of what will happen, Cllr Timms said this will mean:

The creation of more space for social distancing by widening the pavements along Castle Street and on Abbey Road at the junction with Castle Street by the removal of parking and the use of ‘lane defenders’ to create safe areas for pedestrians and cyclists.

Additional proposals include:

*          Creating a ‘one-way’ street on the first section of Market Street as it leaves Market Street. The one-way section would only allow traffic to enter Market Street from Castle Street.Vehicles wishing to enter Castle Street from Market Street will follow the route via East Street and Parade Street. 

       This, said Cllr Timms, change will relieve congestion on Castle Street and the ‘one way’ section of Market Street will also allow the creation of a loading bay to serve nearby businesses on Castle Street. 

•          The closure of the link road between Hall Street and Berwyn Street (A5)

•          Reversing the direction of flow of vehicles on Church Street

•          Support cafes, pubs and restaurants to introduce outside seating will make the town centre more welcoming

       

       The changes will be made by a temporary traffic order for up to 18 months and the effect of the changes will be closely monitored by the council as they are introduced.

Cllr Timms said: "The results of the formal consultation showed huge support for the introduction of these measures. 

"It has been clear to residents over the last few weeks that social distancing in the town has been almost impossible to achieve. 

"The narrow pavements and the huge increase in the number of visitors since the lockdown ended has created a very difficult situation. Many residents have avoided the town centre because they do not feel safe on crowded streets in the middle of the day.

“Both Cllr Melvyn Mile and I were strongly in favour of the introduction of these measures. We believe that they are essential to enable residents and visitors to feel safe in the town centre.

“It is encouraging to see that visitors are keen to return to Llangollen, But it is also vital that we do everything we can to make the town as safe as possible for everyone; residents and visitors alike.

“Denbighshire’s formal consultation through the County Conversation website gave a huge ‘thumbs-up’ for the proposals with nearly 83% of those that responded‘strongly agreeing’ and a further 12% ‘somewhat agreeing’ with the proposals. Only 5% of the replies were negative."

He added: “Over the last few weeks queueing outside small shops has been a problem, leaving no space for those walking down the street to keep their distance. It will be much easier to maintain social distancing in the town when wider pavements are created.

“The reversal of the one-way traffic flow on Church Street should result in a significant change in the number of vehicles using this route as a 'short cut', particularly at the times just before and just after the school day. This will lead to a much safer route to school for children and their parents who walk and cycle to and from school along this very narrow road.

“The closure of the road between Berwyn Street and Hall Street that passes between Stan’s garage and the M’eating Place will help to make this area safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

“Some businesses expressed their concerns over the loss of ‘pop and shop’ parking and the lack of loading bays by signing a ‘template’ letter which was sent to the council separately. I believe that it is important to address these important concerns.

"The ‘loading bay’ issue has been addressed by providing a bay on the Market Street and Castle Street junction. On the provision of short stay parking, Mel Mile and I have been pressing the council to give free parking in all car parks for 30 minutes to allow ‘pop and shop’ visits for those on the outskirts of the town. 

"The county responded with two hours free parking in East Street Car Park. Other towns in Denbighshire will also get a similar concessions. 

"We don’t think that this meets the needs of Llangollen and so we will continue to press the case for a ‘free half-hour’ in all our car parks to encourage local shopping in the town centre.

“It is vitally important that local residents and businesses pull together to create a town centre that is vibrant and safe for everyone in these very difficult times."

Active travel plans for Llangollen approved by county council

Denbighshire County Council has announced its decision on proposed active travel plans for Llangollen, Ruthin, Denbigh and Rhyl.

The council had successfully bid for Welsh Government funds to introduce local sustainable transport measures in response to covid-19 in the four town centres. 

The funding would be used to promote walking and cycling, to facilitate social distancing measures, to encourage businesses to expand their offer outside their premises and to support residents and visitors to feel safe.

Following consultation, the proposals for Llangollen and Ruthin have been approved. 

The plans for Llangollen involve widening pavements for shared pedestrian/cyclist use along designated streets.

The Rhyl proposal has been approved in principle, but there will be alterations to certain aspects of the scheme.  

These alterations will be circulated to all relevant stakeholders before proceeding with the final project implementation. 

The original proposals for Denbigh have been withdrawn after extensive feedback was received from the public.  

The council will go back to the drawing board and consider whether there are alternative options for Denbigh to help facilitate social distancing whilst encouraging walking and cycling.

The plans for Ruthin included the introduction of one-way roads for traffic on Market Street and Well Street.

The proposals for Rhyl involve improving shared space for pedestrians and cyclists in key areas of Rhyl between the railway station and the National Cycling Route along the promenade.  

This also reflects the commitment in the Rhyl Masterplan to enhance sustainable active travel in the town.

The original proposals for Denbigh included a one-way system on Vale Street, High Street and Bridge Street; improved areas for pedestrians and cyclists; the closure to vehicles of the northern side of High Street.and a temporary 20mph speed limits would have been introduced on some town roads. 

The plans were refused due to concerns raised by business owners and residents about the scale of the proposals.

The council will draw up new proposals for Denbigh and will be engaging with the local community in due course.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Highways, Transport and the Environment, said: “We would like to thank members of the public for getting involved in the consultations. Representations were received via an online survey, emails, written letters, telephone calls, e-petitions and through social media.

“Active travel has become a more prominent issue in recent times, with covid-19 allowing people the opportunity to walk more or to get on bikes as a means of getting out and about. The funding made available was to be used to promote active travel and allowing councils to introduce measures that would help protect people’s safety through social distancing, we well as  encouraging more people to visit our town centre businesses.

“We fully recognise the quick turnaround but we were only given a short amount of notice to apply for the Welsh Government funding and we needed to get our plans drawn up and submitted very quickly, to make sure our communities did not miss out on the funding.

“We had community engagement plans planned and agreed to carry out a consultation on the proposals. 

"There was generally strong support for the plans for Llangollen, Ruthin and Rhyl and we were happy to support these proposals going forward and will now plan to implement the measures.   Further details will be announced in due course and the work will be monitored on a regular basis.

“However, in Denbigh there were significant number of people objecting to the original proposals put forward. We have considered people’s responses at great length and we have listened to their views. Clearly there was no appetite from the local community to move forward with the plans, so the Denbigh plans will not go ahead as they stand." 

County honoured for its work with the homeless

The Minister for Housing and Local Government has announced the first scheme in Wales to be awarded Housing First Wales Accreditation for its work on homelessness.

Conwy and Denbighshire Housing First received the accreditation from the Minister during a web event hosted by Cymorth Cymru. 

The Housing First project works across two counties, Conwy County and Denbighshire County Council, which operate in partnership to deliver the right support to people who need it, wherever they happen to be.

The internationally acclaimed Housing First model, praised for its effectiveness, has become a focus of Welsh Government homelessness policy over the past few years, with ‘trailblazer’ funding leading to the establishment of several Housing First schemes across Wales.

Housing First is a recovery-oriented approach that moves people experiencing homelessness into independent, permanent housing as quickly as possible – rather than waiting for them to be ‘housing ready’. Choice and control, as well as strengths based, multi-agency support is key.

Aimed at people who have been sleeping rough with complex or co-occurring mental health and substance misuse issues, international evidence suggests that 80% of people maintain their tenancies.

Central to the success of the model is maintaining fidelity to the Housing First principles, which have been developed internationally and adapted specifically for the Welsh context.

As a result, Cymorth Cymru, which runs the Housing First Network in Wales, has developed the UK’s first accreditation process. Funded by the Welsh Government, this consists of a robust, in-depth process, including a thorough review of the scheme’s policies and interviews with staff, Housing First tenants and other stakeholders. The findings are considered by a panel of independent experts who decide whether to award the accreditation.

Julie James MS, Minister for Housing and Local Government, said: "The coronavirus has reminded us all of the fundamental importance of good-quality affordable housing, a safe and secure home. Housing First is an effective way to support individuals with the most complex needs into long term, sustainable housing.

"I congratulate Conwy and Denbighshire Housing First, who have worked tremendously hard to develop and deliver a Housing First project that adheres to every key principle. My thanks also go to the Network and Cymorth for developing an accreditation mechanism. It will be an invaluable tool to help maintain standards and fidelity to the Housing First model during this uncertain period.”

Katie Dalton, Director of Cymorth Cymru said: "Housing First is critical to our ambitions to end homelessness in Wales and we have been heartened to see the development of several schemes across Wales. International evidence illustrates the effectiveness of this model, but we know that its success is dependent on adherence to the principles. 

"We’re really proud to have developed this accreditation process with partners in the Housing First Wales Network and delighted to announce that the Conwy and Denbighshire Housing First scheme is the first to receive it. We look forward to supporting more organisations through the accreditation this year.”

Cllr Bobby Feeley, Denbighshire County Council’s lead member for Well-being and Independence, said: “I’d like to congratulate the team for all their hard work in being recognised with Housing First Welsh Government accreditation.

“Housing First houses people experiencing homelessness with high needs in their own, settled homes as quickly as possible and provides the support they need, at their own pace, for as long as they need it, to sustain their tenancy.

“Providing additional support to those residents who are experiencing long-term homelessness is making a real difference in our communities.”

Social care leader welcomes indoor care home visits return

* Mary Wimbury, chief executive of Care Forum Wales. 

A social care leader has given a “cautious” welcome to news that indoor care home visits are being allowed again in Llangollen from August 29.

But Mary Wimbury, chief executive of Care Forum Wales which represents nearly 500 providers, stressed the need for the visits to be properly “risk assessed” so that they are done safely in a way that did not place residents, families or staff at risk.

Back in March Care Forum Wales urged care homes to lock down – well ahead of the Welsh Government advice to do so.

At the same time they launched a campaign to “Shield Social Care and Save Lives”, calling for sufficient supplies of PPE, a comprehensive testing regime an financial support to help the sector survive the economic storms caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In announcing the decision to allow indoor care home visits again across Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford said there would be “strict” rules for the visits which would be set out in guidance and that the public shouldn’t  move away from the cautious approach taken so far.

Ms Wimbury said: “Care Forum Wales was ahead of the curve back in March when we called for care homes to be locked down so we could shield social care and save lives which in the event proved to be a wise decision.

“As the situation has improved, many care homes have facilitated socially distanced visits in outside areas to reunite residents and their families and there have been some deeply touching moments across Wales.

“However, we recognise that meeting outside is not always practical, particularly when the weather is not good.

“Enabling indoor visits can be important for the mental health and well-being of residents and their loved ones but it vitally important this is done safely.

“We cautiously welcome this opportunity to provide additional support to care home residents through risk-assessed indoor visits by professionals, family and friends. “We are pleased we are being consulted by the Welsh Government on the guidance around when such visits might be permissible and appropriate.”

In his announcement Prof Drakeford added: "While coronavirus remains effectively suppressed in Wales and cases continue to fall, the situation in the rest of the UK and further afield is still problematic.

"We cannot think that we are immune from everything elsewhere. So while things remain benign in Wales, I want us to go on being careful, being cautious, doing things one step at a time, so that we can try and sustain our positive position for as long as we can.”