The county's health watchdog, Pembrokeshire Community Health Council, is set to improve its service to patients and their families. For the first time in its near 30-year history, the council's lay monitoring teams will be able to inspect GPs' surgeries and nursing homes. Council members will continue to visit the county's hospitals, and already play a vital role in the independent assessment of hospital services and of the cleanliness of hospital wards.

During their recent meeting, council members heard that their complaints service would also receive a boost. A full-time complaints advocate for Dyfed has been appointed to aid council chief officers in their work in assisting patients who complain about their treatment by the NHS. The support worker will be based in Carmarthen, but will be available to assist Pembrokeshire patients through the Haverfordwest office.

The meeting was told that following a complaint by the council that hospital staff were parking in the disabled bays outside the accident and emergency department in the silent hours, Pembrokeshire and Derwen Trust had taken action to prevent the practice.

The Trust was also looking at car parking and bus stop arrangements at the hospital, though works would not commence until after the County Show, to minimise traffic disruption at this busy time.

Members welcomed the news that a new chief executive, Frank O'Sullivan, had been appointed to the Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust. Tributes were paid to the Trust's acting chief executive, Keith Jones.

Elderly residents in council-owned sheltered housing who fall out of bed were the focus of a responsibility debate. On hearing that ambulance crews were called out to lift pensioners back into bed, the council wrote to Pembrokeshire County Council saying that this was an unnecessary use of an emergency resource, and suggested that social services staff were better placed to deal with such domestic situations.

The council's chief officer Ashley Warlow received a brusque response from county councillor David Wildman, chair of the council's elderly and infirm overview and scrutiny committee. Clr. Wildman replied that it was not the job of sheltered accommodation wardens to provide personal care. Social service employees were not trained in injury diagnosis, and could make matters worse by assisting after a fall. He stressed that elderly residents were entitled to a response by the emergency services in such circumstances.

During the council's AGM held prior to the bi-monthly meeting, well-known Milford Haven county councillor Barrie Woolmer was elected chairman. His predecessor, Sheila Russell, was elected vice-chairman, a role she will share with the co vice-chairman, Geoff Wright.

Mr. Wright informed members that, together with Ashley Warlow, he had made fact finding visits to all the county's ambulance stations, where valued discussions were held with paramedics. His concerns for the service were the lack of funding, and insufficient numbers of vehicles and staff.

Outgoing chairman, Mrs. Russell, said she had experienced first-hand the service at Withybush Hospital, and had nothing but praise for the treatment she had received.

The Community Health Council is shortly to undertake a comprehensive survey of the catering facilities at Withybush Hospital, with the full co-operation of the Trust, which will include snap visits at various meal times to all of the wards.

Members were pleased to hear that Ward 14's flooring was being replaced; that security of the hospital's mail trolley was improved; and the Trust had been reminded of the on-going issue of lack of privacy and dignity on the mixed sex, emergency admissions medical ward.

Lack of patient privacy and cramped working conditions in the accident and emergency department was also a shared concern of the Trust and the Community Health Council.

The Trust agrees a new department is urgently needed, but say the unit's development is hampered by lack of funding.

Pembrokeshire Community Health Council is the patients' voice within the county, available and accessible to everyone.

If you have concerns or comments you wish to make about NHS services in the county, then contact the council at 5 Picton Place, Haverfordwest (tel/fax: 01437 765816).

The public are warmly invited to attend the council's meetings held at Haverfordwest Withybush Conference Centre.The next is on July 21, at 7 pm.