Author: Rhys Gregory

HOSPITAL patients are enjoying ‘virtual visits’ with family thanks to the kindness of staff at Coleg Cambria. The north east Wales college has donated iPads to Wrexham Maelor Hospital so relatives currently unable to physically visit the wards due to the Coronavirus pandemic can stay in contact with loved ones. Brian Laing, Informatics Project Manager at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) thanked Cambria for the generous gesture. “The use of these iPads has been really appreciated and beneficial to our patients,” he said. “One patient received a Skype call from their relatives in Australia on their birthday, which was great…

An eight-year-old girl from Cardiff has cut her long hair and raised £880 for the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity. Katherine, who goes to Gabalfa Primary School, has wanted to raise money for the Noah’s Ark Charity since her younger sister, Megan, was admitted to the children’s hospital for Wales last January. Their mum, Bethan says: “At the time the doctors weren’t completely sure if Meg had a viral or bacterial infection. However, looking back at pictures and remembering her symptoms, I’m fairly certain she had Kawasaki disease as she had an awful rash over her body, swelling in her face and joints and red…

Pioneering work in Swansea means a complex skin cancer procedure can continue while patients are awake – for the first time anywhere in the world. Sentinel lymph node biopsies can potentially save the lives of people with melanoma by detecting at an early stage whether the cancer has spread. Until now they have been carried out under general anaesthetic. But the Covid-19 outbreak has created significant risks with this, leading to the service having to be suspended. So Morriston Hospital’s plastic surgery and anaesthetics teams have developed a technique using a series of specially-developed nerve blocks, which allows these biopsies…

Invasive plant species like Japanese knotweed cause damage across the UK, but finding them and tracking their growth can be time-consuming and expensive, especially along roads and railways.  Now, scientists from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and Keen AI, a Birmingham-based artificial intelligence and machine learning company, are developing a new artificial intelligence (AI) system that can quickly survey large and inconvenient areas for invasive and potentially damaging plant species. The team has been funded by Innovate UK to run a 10-month pilot project for the new system in two locations: north Wales and the Midlands. They…

GCSEs in Wales don’t reflect the needs of society as we rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic – and leave teenagers unprepared for life, says the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales. The current crisis has illustrated the need for change to education, said Sophie Howe, who is calling on Welsh Government to further consider replacing the qualifications. Year 11 pupils will this summer be given GCSE grades based on evidence, including teachers’ assessments, after exams were cancelled because of school closures. Ms Howe said she hoped such an approach would be extended when schools reopen, arguing the pandemic has provided a…

Researchers at the University of South Wales (USW) have developed an innovative blood oxygen monitor after supplies of this key device became limited as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The team of researchers have worked under the instruction of the Welsh Government’s Critical Equipment Requirements Engineering Team (CERET), led by Industry Wales, which was looking for the development of a locally-sourced product. In collaboration with Welsh Government, Panasonic UK, and clinicians at Hywel Dda University Health Board, the device, known as a pulse oximeter, has been designed to be manufactured in Wales and breaks away from the standard oximeter…

A landmark agreement between Cardiff and Vale UHB and Spire Healthcare is enabling patients with cancer and other urgent conditions to receive treatment at Spire’s Cardiff hospital, allowing the Health Board’s main sites such as the University Hospital of Wales and University Hospital Llandough to focus on caring for people with COVID-19.  The agreement began at the start of the pandemic, and Spire Cardiff has just passed the milestone of treating its 1,000th NHS patient. The majority of the Health Board’s patients at Spire Cardiff are being treated for cancer or for time critical / urgent health conditions. People with…

Film Hub Wales (FHW) has awarded National Lottery funding totalling £100,000 to 16 Welsh independent cinemas and film festivals that have been severely impacted by Covid-19.  More than £1.45m of funding has been made available to support the sector across the UK, made up of £1.3m National Lottery funding, plus a £150,000 contribution from the Mayor of London’s Culture at Risk Business Support Fund. With months of potential closure and uncertainty ahead as a result of the pandemic, these funds will help cinemas in urgent financial need. To maintain vital income in the short term and keep in contact with…

UWTSD has secured funding through the Creative Europe programme of the European Union for a major three-year collaborative project focusing on Craft. The project was conceived and developed by Dr Shelley Doolan, Senior Research Fellow at UWTSD in collaboration with European project partners. Craft Hub brings together nine partner organisations from eight European countries with shared passion for Craft and cultural heritage. It is an ambitious collaboration that includes maker exchange residencies; community out-reach training and education workshops; touring exhibitions; conferences; a festival of Craft; a material library and a multi-media digital repository resource. Dr Doolan said: “This is a…

StepChange, a debt charity has warned about a ‘personal debt tsunami’ worth £6billion due to the pandemic which has affected 4.6million homes. With 1.2million people estimated to have fallen behind on utility, Linda Dodge, energy expert from energy comparison site SaveOnEnergy, has provided key advice to homeowners on what to do if you’re in debt to your energy supplier. Should I be worried about getting into debt with my energy supplier? Getting into debt to your energy supplier can be a frightening prospect, but you’re not alone. As energy prices rise, millions of people find it increasingly difficult to keep up…