Author: Rhys Gregory

Patients are to be recruited for a research study which aims to improve the way people with potentially life-threatening chest injuries are treated. It’s the latest phase of an ongoing project led by Morriston Hospital consultant physiotherapist Dr Ceri Battle, and focuses on people who have been sent home from emergency departments after injuring their ribs. While the chest injuries themselves can be relatively minor, they can lead to serious and potentially fatal complications. Often these complications do not emerge for several days, leading to people returning to hospital as emergency cases. Dr Battle has been working on the project…

The 34 year-old man who died following a road traffic collision on the M4 in the early hours of Saturday 13th February has been named as Richard Pring from Llanharry. Richard’s family has paid the following tribute to him:  “As a close family we are truly devastated at the massive loss we have experienced in losing Richard.  Our lives will never be the same, and nor would we want them to. Richard was a son, a father, a fiance, a brother and a friend. “He was a massive presence that never failed to get you laughing. He would help anyone.…

Ahead of Pancake Day, Aldi has donated a selection of pancake making kits to South Glamorgan community group The Need To Feed. The kits, which have been shared with charities and foodbanks across the UK, provide families with all the ingredients they need to take to the kitchen this Pancake Day. The donation is part of the supermarket’s partnership with community giving platform Neighbourly, which sees Aldi donate surplus food from stores to help support its local communities. The Need to Feed (TNTF) in South Glamorgan was established during the first Covid-19 lockdown to provide support and assistance to individuals…

WALES has played host to the culmination of the first phase of an exciting EU-funded project; a series of virtual learning journeys designed to encourage innovation and increase prosperity across eight regions of Europe. The Welsh Government’s Innovation team hosted the final virtual learning journey for the first phase of COHES3ION project, a three-year EU Interreg project which brings together 10 partners from eight European countries — including Wales —with the aim of promoting business growth and job creation across Europe through best practice and policy. During the series of learning journeys, each partner is encouraged to share best practice…

RSPCA Newport Adoption Centre received a surprise donation of £2,000 into its bank account over Valentine’s weekend to help provide for pets in its care during the pandemic. The donation was made by Support Adoption For Pets – the UK’s largest grant giving animal charity started by Pets At Home – to recognise the tireless efforts and hard work at RSPCA Newport Adoption Centre since the Covid-19 pandemic began. In total, the charity is giving away nearly £600,000 to rescue centres up and down the country, to help them look after the animals in their care as the financial hardship…

The Mental Health Foundation has today published its manifesto, Making Prevention Happen, ahead of the Welsh Parliament Elections on 6 May. The Foundation is calling for the next Government to produce a mental health prevention strategy that focuses on addressing social and economic inequalities in Wales and fully recognises the impact of Covid-19 on people’s mental health. In its Manifesto the Foundation calls for the following action: Commitment to a new cross-government strategy on preventing mental health problems: this means taking action to increase the protective factors for good mental health and reduce the risks of experiencing poor mental health.…

With Shrove Tuesday upon us (Tuesday 16th February), it’s time to whip up some batter, flip up a feast and tuck into an obscene amount of pancakes. Now your four-legged friend can join in on the fun with this tasty dog-friendly recipe that even you can eat! Quite possibly one of the best foodie days of the year, Pancake Day is a time where we can completely indulge in sugary, buttery goodness without feeling too guilty about it. But as with all foodie days, pet owners can’t resist giving their dogs a treat too. Fortunately, Head Vet Sean McCormack at…

An RSPCA appeal for information has been launched after a suspected double pigeon shooting in the Adamsdown area of Cardiff. RSPCA inspector Darren Oakley was alerted after a member spotted a pigeon with an injured wing on 29 January. The caller had safely confined the injured bird – but as inspector Oakley approached the property, he spotted another pigeon dead on the roadside. Both birds were taken to a local veterinary practice – and X-rays revealed a pellet inside the body of the deceased bird, while the other pigeon had a pellet-sized hole to his wing. Sadly, the extent of…

With Lockdown 3 and nearly a year of restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic taking a physical and mental toll of the nation’s health, David Lloyd Clubs wants to do its bit to help by opening its doors (albeit virtually) for the first time. With health, fitness and wellbeing content previously only available exclusively to its members, the UK’s largest health club is today making its David Lloyd Clubs @home available free of charge to the nation. In response to the recent news that nearly half of the UK population are exercising less during the current lockdown than during the…

An intensive care nurse who has described working through COVID-19 as mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting, says that learning Welsh during this time has been a wonderful, much needed distraction. Rachel Williams, who lives in Neath with her husband and two sons, started learning Welsh in September, and has already found the confidence to speak Welsh at work, both with patients and colleagues at Morriston Hospital, as she explains; ‘‘I often found it frustrating when caring for Welsh-speaking patients as I couldn’t communicate in the language which they preferred.  Now I can practice my Welsh at work and my goal…