Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service

Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced that women in Wales will have access to two cycles of IVF treatment free on the NHS from April next year.
Source: Welsh Assembly Government Website

Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust want to know if you want to become a member of their Partners in Healthcare Network?

You will have the opportunity to:

• Find out about Welsh Ambulance Services developments.
• Comment on and be involved in developing our services.
• Have your say about the services we provide, which include Emergency Ambulance Services, Patient Transport Services and NHS Direct Wales.
• Become involved in activities, for example, sharing your patient stories and carrying out surveys.

The Network aims to involve as many patients and members of the public as possible. For further information, or if you would like to become a member of Network, please contact 01792 776252 ext 5400, email ppi@ambulance.wales.nhs.uk or join online: www.ambulance.wales.nhs.uk

The Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced that ‘Designed to Smile’, the Oral Health Improvement Programme aimed at young children in Wales, is to be extended following two successful super pilot schemes in north and south Wales. Source: Welsh Assembly Government website.

NHS Reform have released an informative leaflet outlining the changes in the NHS in Wales entitled ‘NHS in Wales, why we are changing the structure’.  It is available to download from the NHS reform website.

The NHS Wales Governance e-Manual has been launched. It is designed to help NHS organisations in Wales to develop robust governance and assurance arrangements that meet the standards for all public services in Wales and which support the delivery of high quality and safe healthcare services. To access the e-manual go to the NHS Wales website.

The Welsh Assembly Government has announced the appointment of Bob Hudson as the Chief Executive of the newly constituted Public Health Wales NHS Trust. Go to the Welsh Assembly Government website for more information.

• There are now 7,580 laboratory confirmed cases in the UK – 50 cases in Wales, 1,325 cases in Scotland, 6,162 cases in England and 43 in Northern Ireland.
• Diagnosis now being made by GPs without the need to test for swine flu, the number of laboratory confirmed cases will only be part of the total number of cases in Wales.
• Two people with swine flu have been hospitalised in Wales and have been discharged.
• GPs are no longer being asked to swab people they suspect may have swine flu.  Microbiology laboratories will therefore no longer be testing most people suspected of having swine flu. The NPHS is monitoring the spread of swine flu using a surveillance scheme which records reports of GPs’ diagnoses of flu from more than 300 GP practices across Wales. This will change the way cases are reported each day.
• Four people in the UK with swine flu have died. All had underlying health conditions.
• Swine flu cases have been confirmed in 125 countries. For the latest international figures for the spread of swine flu, visit the website of the World Health Organization at www.who.int

Further information including health advice can be found at www.wales.gov.uk, www.nphs.wales.nhs.uk and www.hpa.org.uk.

You can also call the Swine Flu Information line on 0800 1 513 513 for recorded information, or NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 for health advice.

Please find below the Executive appointments to ABM Health Board:

Director of Finance: Eifion Williams,

Medical Director: Bruce Ferguson

Director of Nursing: Victoria Franklin,

Director of Planning: Paul Stauber

Director of Workforce Planning and Organisational Development: Debbie Morgan

Director of Primary Care and Mental Health Services: Alexandra Howells

The Welsh Assembly Government is issuing daily updates regarding the Swine Flu situation which details the number of cases and their locations throughout the UK.  It summarises the global effects and the figures around the spread of Swine Flu.   It also provides detailed and current information on prevention and precautions and the control measures which the UK government has taken. For more information please go to http://wales.gov.uk/topics/health/protection/communicabledisease/swine/news/?lang=en

The BBC News website has released information regarding the twenty people in Wales being investigated in connection with swine flu.   Health Minister Edwina Hart told members of the Welsh assembly there had been no confirmed cases yet in Wales.  She said the four police chief constables in Wales had been briefed and she was speaking to ministers in the rest of the UK every day.  First Minister Rhodri Morgan said on Tuesday there were enough stockpiles of anti-virals for half the population.

A leaflet has been released which outlines the signs, symptoms and precautions against Swine flu.  It also clears up frequently asked questions regarding the use of masks, the necessity of basic hygiene and preventitive measures.  The Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513 will also be updated regularly.