Author: Rhys Gregory

A pioneering centre that provides a fast diagnosis for people with symptoms that could be cancer is expanding after a successful pilot. The Rapid Diagnosis Centre at Neath Port Talbot Hospital now offers one-stop neck lump investigations, along with an extended biopsy service and an additional vague symptoms clinic, all on a permanent basis. It has been made possible through an additional £390,000 a year investment by Swansea Bay University Health Board. This followed a two-year pilot funded by Welsh not-for-profit organisation Moondance Cancer Initiative. The Moondance funding of £700,000 allowed the RDC’s single-visit approach to be extended to investigating…

Commercial law firm Darwin Gray has welcomed new recruits to its Bangor office, as part of a firm-wide growth strategy. The expansion also underpins the firm’s commitment to its Welsh language capabilities, with increased bilingual capabilities across all of its services. Since opening its doors in 2022, Darwin Gray’s Bangor office, based in Parc Menai, has welcomed new team members across the firm. The start of 2024 welcomed the arrival of Associates Rhodri Morgan, who joins the firm’s quickly expanding Corporate and Commercial team, and Elliw Jones, whose expertise spans both Commercial Property and Wills and Probate. Starting his career…

Springtime has sprung, and with this time of year comes seasonal dangers. Pet owners have been told to keep an eye on their pets, with PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing sharing spring safety messages and advice. Nina says: “Many of us will be pleased the winter gloom is on the way out, and both flowers blooming and more daylight hours are back. “Whilst enjoying the somewhat sunnier season, it’s important for animal lovers to watch out for certain dangers that spring brings. Tick season “Most active in warmer months, ticks will begin to make an appearance in spring. They are…

Cameron Jones, 29, has been charged in relation to fatal road traffic collision on Swansea Road, Merthyr Tydfil, on April 5. Jones, from Merthyr, will appear at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court this morning (Tuesday, April 30) charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving a vehicle whilst unlicenced/uninsured, failing to stop following a road traffic collision, failing to report a road traffic collision and cause death whilst disqualified from driving. Demi Mabbitt, 25, died as a result of injuries sustained in the collision. Her family continues to be supported by specialist police officers.

Welsh Government has suggested that it wants the country to reach a 100% recycling rate by 2050. At present, the latest recycling target for Councils to meet in Wales is 70% by 2025. A new waste strategy is now being developed in Swansea, to replace the existing plan which runs from 2022 – 2025. Initiatives within the existing plan have helped Swansea Council meet ongoing recycling targets and now wants a new way forward that will help residents recycle even more of their household waste. In the coming months, the Council will be looking to trial kerbside collections of additional…

The largest convoy from UK Fire and Rescue Services to date successfully delivered essential firefighting equipment to Ukrainian counterparts last week. On Monday 22nd April, six fire appliances left South Wales Fire and Rescue Service in the early hours of the morning to join a convoy carrying more than 2,800 pieces of equipment donated by UK Fire and Rescue Services. The scale of the latest convoy travelling to Ukraine was unprecedented; comprising 33 Fire and Rescue vehicles which included two mechanics vehicles, an HGV, 20 fire appliances, eight incident command units, one aerial ladder platform, and one 4×4 vehicle. The…

Around 730,000 tax credits customers will start receiving their annual renewal notices from this week. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said tax credits claimants will receive them between 2 May and 19 June 2024. The vast majority of claims will be automatically renewed. Notices with a black stripe are automatically renewed while claimants receiving a notice with a red stripe need to renew. Fewer than 10,000 customers will need to check their information and renew their claim by 31 July, but failure to do so means they risk having their payments stopped. The quickest and easiest way for customers to…

A South Wales education organisation has opened new training facilities in the Newport Indoor Market set to improve employment prospects of adults seeking support across the city. South Wales based Whitehead-Ross Education will be offering a selection of adult numeracy courses to people across Newport, including through the Multiply programme, which is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The office, which was officially opened by Newport East MS John Griffiths and the Mayor of Newport, Councillor Trevor Watkins, will support 295 people in Newport in achieving the vital numeracy skills they need to support their child’s learning. The courses…

Two former police officers who made “cruel, shocking and offensive comments” were found to have been in breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to Discreditable Conduct at a Misconduct Hearing at Police Headquarters in Colwyn Bay on Monday, April 29. Former PC’s Iwan Williams and Terence Flanagan, who both resigned prior to the hearing, would have been dismissed had they still been serving officers. They have been placed on the ‘Barred List’, meaning they will not be able to serve as a police officer at any point in the future. Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman KPM, who chaired today’s…

Engineers recruited to Wales’s leading alternative full fibre telco – Ogi – are the first to benefit from a new bespoke 8-week telecoms training programme. The in-house training programme is made up of a mix of regulatory e-learning modules, peer-led training and a ‘last mile’ practical assessment pilot facilitated by Future Networks Training (FNT), preparing Ogi’s new recruits for day-to-day roles across the Service Operations division. All new engineers start with a ‘buddy’, learning on the job as they progress through the Ogi-led induction programme. From classroom-style training covering regulatory modules and the health and safety principles to on-site practical…