Bevan Commission welcomes new health and care priorities
'For this vision to become a reality, we need everyone to share responsibility – people, professionals, NHS leaders, and staff must be supported to help them balance these competing demands and expectations.
"The urgent, short-term targets must not inadvertently stifle the long-term transformation that will be essential to secure the health of future generations, consistent with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.'
'We look forward to continuing to share our thinking on this and working with all partners to ensure we help navigate this difficult path, sharing ideas, skills, insights and resources, to achieve healthier people in thriving communities across Wales.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
27 minutes ago
- North Wales Live
'Normal and active' Welsh man struck down after tick bite 'changed everything'
A man incapacitated by a tick bite causing Lyme disease has revealed he's forked out close to £150,000 on private treatment just to feel "four out of 10". Steven Williams, 39, from Bridgend, was once leading an active life, regularly exercising, holding down a civil service job and playing in a rock band – until a drastic shift occurred one week in March 2021. He recounted the onset of severe heart palpitations, fatigue, and crippling anxiety and depression, along with new food intolerances and gastrointestinal problems. The man who used to be the "steady one in the group" suddenly found himself struggling with basic activities like taking out the rubbish, watching telly or even bathing due to overwhelming mental health issues. After seven months of ineffective treatments prescribed by his GP, it was finally identified that he had Lyme disease, a bacterial infection transmitted by infected ticks. He argued that the NHS's standard two-week antibiotic treatment wouldn't touch the sides at his stage of the illness, leading him since his diagnosis in October 2021 to spend roughly £150,000 on international private healthcare, even remortgaging his home to cover the costs. Despite spending a fortune on treatment, Steven has only seen marginal improvements in his health and is stuck living a monotonous, restricted life, subsisting on a few bland foods and engaging in minimal activities just to get by. "I just want to regain some of my old quality of life," he confided to PA Real Life. "It's small things like being able to meet friends for a meal, listen to music and do exercise.", reports Wales Online. "Since March 2021, although my symptoms have waxed and waned, I've never felt better than a four out of 10. The NHS is an amazing institution, and my GP has been so supportive, but a two-week course of Doxycycline is all they've been able to offer. For people who fall between the cracks, the system is too rigid." Ticks that may cause Lyme disease are found all over the UK but high-risk places include grassy and wooded areas in southern England and the Scottish Highlands, the NHS says. Steven said he does not know when exactly he was bitten and he did not get a "bullseye rash", a typical tell-tale mark surrounding the bite. But despite common belief, the rash is only present in a minority of Lyme disease patients, according to Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Centre. Living in South Wales, Steven spent long hours walking in the mountains and forests with his dog, Jarvis, and suspects he may have been bitten there, though he believes it could have been any number of days, weeks or even years before his symptoms first showed. In March 2021, he said his life as he knew it ended abruptly as he was struck with sudden, severe bouts of depression and anxiety, as well as heart palpitations. He said he also suddenly became highly intolerant to many food types and experienced significant gastrointestinal issues, and he found he was easily overstimulated, meaning he was unable to watch TV, socialise or even listen to music. "It's very hard to explain but, as someone who used to play in a rock band, that's a hard pill to swallow," he said. Steven visited a GP in March 2021 but said it was not until October that he was diagnosed with Lyme disease. "I knew something was not right and that my symptoms weren't characteristic of me. It was terrifying," he said. "I'd heard of the term Lyme disease but when I found out I had it, I thought, 'Great, now I can treat it and be well'. Lo and behold, it wasn't that simple." Steven said it was too late for the NHS-prescribed Doxycycline to be effective, so he was left to find his own remedies. He claims he has tried a huge range – pharmaceutical, herbal and holistic – and has travelled all over the world to do so. In February 2022, he said he visited a clinic in Bavaria, Germany, to receive intravenous antibiotics and whole-body hyperthermia, a treatment that uses heat to raise the body temperature, stimulating the immune response. While this successfully killed the Borrelia bacteria that cause Lyme disease, he says, it did not impact the Babesia parasite, which infects red blood cells, causing flu-like symptoms. Returning to Wales after his treatment in March 2022, Steven said he unfortunately contracted Covid-19. Since his immune system was compromised, he said the effects of this were severe and he was left with long Covid, causing fatigue, thickening his blood and further hindering his progress. Following this, Steven said he has sought several other remedies – he visited Mexico to receive stem cell therapy and flew to New York on several occasions to work with Lyme disease specialist Dr Richard Horowitz. He also tried extended fasting and herbal remedies and, in February 2025, he said he flew to India to receive Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy, a treatment which uses immunoglobulins, a type of protein that contain antibodies, which are taken from human blood. While this had a positive impact on his food intolerances, he says, he remains well below full health, struggling with sleep and forced to live a strict, simple lifestyle. "I have to live such a robotic life, just to feel semi-normal," he says. Overall, Steven thinks he has spent nearly £150,000 seeking treatments. He said his course in Germany was in the region of £35,000 and his IVIg treatment in India cost £20,000. Steven said he was forced to remortgage his house to pay for them but he is determined to continue searching for an effective remedy. His friend Alecs Donovan has therefore set up a GoFundMe page to help him fund the next round of treatment in Germany, which he said will thin his blood and reduce the effects of long Covid. "Alecs has been absolutely amazing," he says. "She's such a wonderful person, always trying to help others. "Health really is wealth, so I'm so grateful to everyone who has donated. I just hope I can get my normal life back." A spokesperson for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said: "While it is not appropriate for us to comment on the care received by individuals, we encourage Mr Williams to get in touch with our concerns team directly so that we can explore his concerns further." To donate or find out more, visit Steven's GoFundMe page. The NHS says not all ticks carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, but it is still important to be aware of ticks and to safely remove them as soon as possible. For more information, visit
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
'I went for a dog walk - it left me with a debilitating disease that's cost me £150,000'
Steven Williams, 39, was living a normal active lifestyle, exercising regularly, working as a civil servant and playing in a rock band A man left incapacitated by a tick bite causing Lyme disease has revealed he's spent close to £150,000 on private healthcare just to feel "four out of 10". Steven Williams, 39, from Bridgend, South Wales, was once leading an active life, hitting the gym, working as a civil servant and jamming with his rock band – until one fateful week in March 2021 when everything took a turn for the worse. He recounted how he suddenly started suffering from intense heart palpitations, fatigue and crippling anxiety and depression, alongside food intolerances and gastrointestinal problems – all new symptoms for him. Despite being known as the "steady one in the group", Steven found himself struggling with basic activities like taking the bins out, watching TV or even bathing due to overwhelming anxiety and depression. After seven months of fruitless GP visits and ineffective prescriptions, it was finally identified that he had Lyme disease, a bacterial infection transmitted by infected ticks. He claims that the NHS's standard two-week antibiotic treatment would not have touched the sides at his stage of the disease, leading him to spend around £150,000 on international private treatments since his diagnosis in October 2021, even remortgaging his home to cover the costs. Despite shelling out a fortune, Steven has only seen marginal improvements in his health and finds himself leading a monotonous, restricted existence. He subsists on a limited diet and minimises activities just to get by. "I just want to regain some of my old quality of life," he said. "It's small things like being able to meet friends for a meal, listen to music and do exercise. "Since March 2021, although my symptoms have waxed and waned, I've never felt better than a four out of 10. The NHS is an amazing institution, and my GP has been so supportive, but a two-week course of Doxycycline is all they've been able to offer. For people who fall between the cracks, the system is too rigid." Ticks, which are potential carriers of Lyme disease, are widespread across the UK, with grassy and wooded areas in southern England and the Scottish Highlands being particularly high-risk zones, according to the NHS. Steven admits he's unsure when he was bitten and didn't develop the "bullseye rash", often considered a classic sign of a tick bite. However, contrary to popular belief, this rash appears in only a minority of Lyme disease cases, as stated by Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Centre. Living in South Wales, Steven frequently hiked in the mountains and woodlands with his dog, Jarvis, and suspects that's where he might have been bitten. But he acknowledges it could have happened at any point – days, weeks, or even years before he first noticed symptoms. In March 2021, he revealed his world was turned upside down when he was suddenly hit with severe episodes of depression and anxiety, alongside heart palpitations. He explained that he also developed an acute intolerance to numerous foods and suffered from substantial digestive problems, whilst becoming easily overwhelmed by stimulation - rendering him unable to watch television, socialise or even enjoy music. "It's very hard to explain but, as someone who used to play in a rock band, that's a hard pill to swallow," he said. Steven consulted a GP in March 2021 but revealed it wasn't until October that he received a Lyme disease diagnosis. "I knew something was not right and that my symptoms weren't characteristic of me. It was terrifying," he said. "I'd heard of the term Lyme disease but when I found out I had it, I thought, 'Great, now I can treat it and be well'. Lo and behold, it wasn't that simple." Steven explained it was too late for the NHS-prescribed Doxycycline to prove effective, leaving him to seek alternative treatments. He says he has experimented with an enormous variety of approaches - pharmaceutical, herbal and holistic - and has journeyed across the globe in pursuit of a cure. In February 2022, he recounted his visit to a clinic in Bavaria, Germany, where he underwent intravenous antibiotics and whole-body hyperthermia, a technique designed to elevate body temperature and boost the immune system. This approach successfully eradicated the Borrelia bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, he claims, but left the Babesia parasite, which invades red blood cells and causes flu-like symptoms, unaffected. Upon returning to Wales after his treatment in March 2022, Steven said that he unfortunately caught Covid-19. With his immune system already weakened, he described the impact as severe, resulting in long Covid that caused fatigue, blood thickening, and impeded his recovery. Subsequently, Steven pursued various alternative treatments – he travelled to Mexico for stem cell therapy and made multiple trips to New York to consult with Lyme disease expert Dr Richard Horowitz. He experimented with prolonged fasting and herbal remedies and, in February 2025, he mentioned flying to India to undergo Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy, which involves using immunoglobulins, antibody-containing proteins sourced from human blood. Although this had a beneficial effect on his food sensitivities, he admits he is still far from fully healthy, battling sleep issues and adhering to a rigid, simplistic routine. "I have to live such a robotic life, just to feel semi-normal," he laments. Steven estimates that he has shelled out close to £150,000 in his quest for treatments. He shared that his stint in Germany cost around £35,000 and the IVIg treatment he underwent in India set him back £20,000. He was compelled to remortgage his home to cover these expenses but remains resolute in his pursuit of an effective cure. To aid in financing his next treatment in Germany, which he hopes will alleviate his long Covid symptoms by thinning his blood, his mate Alecs Donovan has launched a GoFundMe campaign. "Alecs has been absolutely amazing," he expressed. "She's such a wonderful person, always trying to help others. "Health really is wealth, so I'm so grateful to everyone who has donated. I just hope I can get my normal life back." A spokesperson for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said: "While it is not appropriate for us to comment on the care received by individuals, we encourage Mr Williams to get in touch with our concerns team directly so that we can explore his concerns further." To support or learn more, you can visit Steven's GoFundMe page. The NHS advises that although not all ticks are carriers of Lyme disease bacteria, it's crucial to be tick-aware and remove them safely at the earliest opportunity. For additional details, head over to
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Theft from Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital sparks probe
Around 20 staff devices were snatched from an office block within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Govan. Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board bosses have been forced to fork out £14,000 to replace the stolen equipment, which the Glasgow Times understands contained an array of sensitive and private information. There are now calls for CCTV to be installed to monitor the office buildings, along with ramped up campus security patrols. A whistleblower exclusively told the Glasgow Times that staff were shocked when news of the incidents began going round the hospital. They said: 'This raises serious concerns about data protection and patient confidentiality. 'There have now been repeated incidents of individuals walking into the hospital's office block and making off with valuable equipment — including NHS-issued laptops — from staff offices. 'Management has failed to take any meaningful action and requests by workers for improved protection measures, such as the installation of CCTV or more security on foot around the place, have either been ignored or endlessly delayed.' READ NEXT: Glasgow dad's tragic death after 'routine drug' reaction The source continued: 'Instead of taking action, management continues to put the blame on staff, reminding them not to leave equipment unattended, as if these thefts are their fault or responsibility. Rather than addressing the obvious security shortcomings head-on, this approach amounts to burying their heads in the sand while the problem persists and escalates. 'Worse still, in some cases, replacement laptops have also then been stolen, indicating a systematic failure. Some of these devices contain highly sensitive patient data, which is a real issue. There is concern among staff about what's going here.' (Image: NQ) A letter to staff from Catherine Nivison, general manager of medical specialities, has been shared with the Glasgow Times. It asks employees to now take their laptops home or lock them away in a secure drawer. It reads: 'We continue to experience a high volume of security incidents within the office block at QEUH. In particular NHS issued laptops, and other personal belongings have been stolen. 'Please can I remind everyone that the office block, while accessed by security doors, is not a secure site. Personal belongings and equipment left within the pods is left at the individual's own risk. If you have been issued with an NHS laptop or other IT equipment, please do not leave this unattended within your pod outwith core business hours. "We have replaced around 20 laptops this year alone. The cost of this is nearly £14k which could otherwise be spent on patient care or other departmental supplies that we need. Some individuals have had their replacement laptops stolen also.' The letter continues: 'Please be assured that the police and campus security are involved in investigating this. The estates team is also working with the senior management team in relation to security measures within the office environment, such as security doors and CCTV.' A spokesperson for Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board said that the matter was under review. They added: 'We can confirm a number of thefts of laptops from offices within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, which have been reported to police. All corporate NHSGGC laptops have encrypted hard drives as standard, which prevents unauthorised access to data which may be on drives within the device. "If a device is stolen, staff are required to report this, and further security measures are taken. It is incorrect to say requests for improved security measures in the office block were ignored as a number of upgrades were completed. "All staff undergo mandatory training in the secure handling of data. Staff are also regularly reminded of their obligations to keep NHS property safe, and to be vigilant of any suspicious activity."
