Author: Rhys Gregory

Routine planned cardiac surgery at Morriston Hospital has been temporarily suspended following a localised Covid-19 outbreak. The hospital are prioritising staff to continue to care for emergency and urgent cardiac and cardiology patients, working within stringent infection control arrangements. However, this means the hospital has temporarily suspended routine cardiac cases. Swansea Bay University Health Board has apologised for the inconvenience this will cause patients, and their treatment will be rescheduled as soon as possible. Affected patients will be contacted directly. Ten patients and five staff have tested positive for the virus as part of the outbreak at Morriston over the last…

Caerphilly Council is working to support businesses to operate within the new guidance and taking action against those who are found to be non-compliant. Abertysswg RFC was visited by Trading Standards Officers, which resulted in the issue of an improvement notice. The inspection on the 10 October revealed a number of shortfalls including: Distancing not being maintained between members whilst on the premises. Groups of members who were clearly not forming part of the same household were seated together. Table and chairs set out in such a manner that they were not compliant with the 2 metre social distancing requirements.…

RCT Council will begin work this week in Ynysangharad War Memorial Park to prepare for the significant repair scheme to the damaged footbridge – which will commence on-site by the beginning of November. In the week commencing Monday, October 12, local residents and visitors to the Pontypridd park will notice works activity on site, as the Council prepares to carry out a repair scheme to the Marks and Spencer Bridge. The structure has been closed since February 2020 due to the significant damaged it sustained during unprecedented weather brought by Storm Dennis. During an update issued in July, the Council…

The Welsh Government will today announce that increased incentives will be offered to attract more Biology teachers from next year. In the last five years, Biology has fallen into the bottom five subjects for the number of applications per teacher post. Trainee Biology PGCE teachers will be able to access additional support of up to £20,000, for graduates with a first class or a Master’s degree. Other subjects which attract the highest incentives include Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Welsh. The Iaith Athrawon Yfory incentive scheme, for Welsh-medium teachers, will also continue, offering incentives of up to £5,000, meaning trainee teachers…

Foals have announced that they will headline Swansea’s Singleton Park on Friday 4th June 2021. The extra Welsh date will take place the night before the band’s re-scheduled Cardiff Castle gig on Saturday 5th June 2021 (originally scheduled for 10th July 2020, but postponed due to Coronavirus). Foals are being brought to Wales by DEPOT Live, the live-events arm of the DEPOT brand. Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “Last week we were pleased to announce that Olly Murs is to play at Singleton Park on Saturday June 5 and today’s announcement that we will once again be working with The DEPOT to bring…

Primary school pupils are being given the chance to learn more about local seafood and nutrition. Welsh food specialist Nerys Howell is offering free lessons on fish, shellfish and the importance of eating seafood as part of healthy, balanced diet. The Fish is the Dish project is being led by the Swansea Bay Fisheries Local Action Group which is managed by Swansea Council. It has been funded by the European Fisheries Fund through the Welsh Government. All interactive lessons – giving children across Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot, Burry Port and Bridgend the chance to taste local seafood species – are…

Changes to the way Nightingale House Hospice delivers its’ services to better cope with the impact from the coronavirus pandemic are having a positive effect on patient care. The changes were necessary to avoid additional pressure on the NHS and to enable patients to access hospice services earlier and quicker. The introduction of a direct referrals service for people with palliative care needs and conditions such as cancer, Motor Neurone Disease and heart failure, who require assessment or treatment by the hospice’s multidisciplinary team, was brought in at the start of lockdown to reach more people who may need the…

North Wales broadcaster and journalist Louise Elliott has been appointed Programme and Digital Editor at ITV Cymru Wales. Louise grew up in Llandegfan on Anglesey, attending David Hughes Comprehensive in Menai Bridge. She started her career in journalism as a teenage apprentice in the newsroom of the Bangor Chronicle. She worked in regional newspapers in Wales and the north west of England for ten years including many years at the Wrexham Evening Leader and the Daily Post before she was given her first break in broadcasting by HTV Wales in 1996. She also worked at the BBC, as a journalist…

Cardiff’s first eco-friendly hair salon is pledging to protect our oceans this month as part of #Unblocktober, and they’re calling on hairdressers and customers across the city to join their green revolution. Amaryllis directors Tiffany Hall, 30, and Rebecca Ryce, 34, were driven to call for change when they realised how much waste from the beauty industry ends up in Britain’s rivers and seas. “We were shocked to find out that almost eight million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the ocean every year,” said Tiffany. “Beauty and hygiene products, waste food and packaging all create huge problems when they…

 A newly-launched Welsh security fencing company has enjoyed a dream start – and is now planning to create up to 50 jobs as the business grows. Perimeter Fencing Solutions, which launched in February has already broken the £1 million turnover ceiling, and within five years is aiming to reach £4 million and employ 50, according to Directors Hywel Davies, Scott Thomas and Richard Salmon. The company’s order book is also strong with some £1 million of sales of future projects in Wales and around the UK. Earlier this year the venture raised  a launch package of £200,000, cornerstoned with a loan…