21/01/2014 BBC Wales Today

rain from the east. That's all from the BBC News At

Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story: Hundreds protested but

specialist maternity services in Pembrokeshire will be transferred to

Carmarthenshire. Tonight a mother who lost her baby

minutes matter getting to hospital.l In a major shake up for mothers

minutes matter getting to hospital.l out the case for the expectant

mothers now facing a long journey to hospital Our other headlines: if I

had had to have gone to Glangwili Hospital, I would not have survived.

All change in health services gives rise to strong feelings. The panel

's recommendations are based on what they say is providing the best

outcomes and experience for mother and baby.

Why universities here say they could lose millions to English

institutions. All the council services you use.

How will local government reorganisation affect them? Merger

negotiations are set to begin. The inside story of doing time in

the country's largest prison. The UK government is yet to decide who will

run its new super prison in Wrexham but it has praised the private

company which runs Park prison in Bridgend.

And blow away those January blues with a garden designed for a Welsh

winter. Good evening. The Health Minister

has given the go ahead to a plan that would see specialist care for

babies born in West Wales centralised at Glangwili Hospital in

Carmarthen. The decision will mean that the Special Care Baby Unit at

Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest would close. A move campaigners have

warned could put lives at risk. But Mark Drakeford and the Hywel Dda

Health Board insist mothers and babies will get safer care. Our

health correspondent, Owain Clarke, has the details.

It is a question that has been debated for 12 months. What's the

best way to provide care in West Wales for the endless patience of

all? A year ago NHS managers gave the go-ahead to changes which

included closing the special baby care unit at Haverfordwest. By

developing a larger unit at Glangwili Hospital, they argued

people would get better treatment. Others claimed patients temperature

could be put at risk. Last year, this woman was rushed to Withybush

Hospital with severe bleeding. Sadly, she lost her baby. They told

me if I had gone to Glangwili Hospital I would not have survived.

I was minutes from death. If that service was still not available, I

would not be sitting here today. The local patients

would not be sitting here today. The health board 's original plans which

meant this health board 's original plans which

advice from a panel of experts, Mark Drakeford

advice from a panel of experts, Mark scrutiny panel has concluded that it

has not been presented with any additional evidence that leads them

to question their original support of a health board proposal to

develop a level to kneel mental unit -- neonatal unit at Glangwili

Hospital. The decision to close this unit will

put lives at risk in my constituency and that lies squarely on this

government's shoulders. It is counterintuitive to tell people that

to travel further away service is a better service for them because all

the instincts tell them something completely different. I want to put

it to you that before we ventured down this, we have to be certain

that the safety net is not only in place but is able to deal with the

changes coming forward. The changes would mean emergency who need

emergency care during their pregnancy would have to travel

further. The Health Minister insisted on emergency system would

be developed to transfer mothers and babies in heavy and that they would

be a safety net in place. But obstetricians would stay on at

Withybush Hospital. This doctor is a consultant at Withybush Hospital. A

number of people would not get there in time. We will have a good way

forward with developing our paediatric and neonatal services to

improve the quality and safety of our services. Most mothers won't

have to travel further to give birth but those who need to will get

better care. But that is unlikely to silence the critics.

The announcement today, Owain, is about services in West Wales. But we

know changes are happening across Wales. Where we are we now in terms

of reorganisation in other parts of the country? A lot of questions

emerging tonight about the detail. Mark Drakeford said most mothers

will be able to give birth at the local hospitals. Plaid Cymru has

asked how can that be the case when it is estimated that the number of

births in Withybush Hospital will drop by around three quarters? What

this boils down to is a fundamental difference of opinion which I

suspect now cannot be reconciled between those who believe this will

lead to better care and those who don't. The Health Minister did say

he will hold a review in a years time to find out whether or not this

delivers better care. This was supposed to be the final chapter in

a long-running saga of West Wales hospital reorganisation but if you

think you've heard the last of it, think again because I understand

campaigners are hoping to challenge several of these decisions in

court. Soon, we will get to find out whether they get the chance. Bring

us up to speed on health reorganisation in other parts of the

country. A few details to be hammered out in North Wales after

the first minister propose a revised plans and neonatal care there. The

big and answered question is what will the plans look like the South

Wales? We know they will involve centralising services like accident

and emergency but the key question his way. There was supposed to be an

announcement last month but it was cancelled. We're hoping to get an

announcement next month. That is a sign that these decisions in South

Wales could be equally controversial to those in West Wales.

Operations at three hospitals in North Wales have been cancelled due

to an increase in the number of patients needing emergency care.

Routine planned surgeries which require patients to stay overnight

at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Glan Clwyd and Wrexham Maelor hospitals have been

postponed because of "severe pressures" on beds. The Health Board

has apologised and says urgent operations will still go ahead.

Universities here say they'll lose millions of pounds of funding

because of an increase in the number of university places in England. In

a document seen by BBC Wales, Higher Education Wales says institutions

here could be over ?7 million a year worse off, with the money going over

the border. Our education correspondent, Arwyn Jones, reports.

This man from Blackwood decided to go to Bristol University and he is

now the president of the Welsh society and is organising the annual

rugby trip to Dublin. As a third-year student he missed out on

the Welsh Government paying part of his fees but thinks leaving Wales to

study definitely has its advantages. You meet a different social class of

people but that changes you because you have to be more open in terms of

talking to people. At the same time, you have to be more open in terms of

Welsh even more. Around a quarter of Welsh even more. Around a quarter of

what makes it -- makes them do that? We

what makes it -- makes them do that? would go. The sixth on the right say

what makes it -- makes them do that? stayed to study in Wales I would not

have the same quality of teaching for my subject. Those on the left

are not sure where they will end up and have chosen a mixture of Welsh

and Danish universities so they might be leaving but might stay. The

thing I thought about most is what's best for me because you are paying a

lot to go to university so I wanted the best opportunity for a future

career. That leaves one who is definitely staying in Wales. I have

been to Cardiff more times than I've been to any of my English choices so

Cardiff is a good way of knowing my way around. Next year universities

in England will recruit as many students as they wish. They will --

they say that will mean an extra 60,000 students. According to this

document 1500 of those students will be Welsh. Since the Welsh Government

pays around ?5,000 towards each Welsh student's tuition fees it will

mean over ?7 million goes with those students who study in a month. Some

university bosses have said in the past they are disadvantaged because

millions of pounds follows Welsh students to English universities.

The man who drew up the current plan says it is still working very well.

Most institutions will be ?2 million better off than they were in 2011 as

a result -- as a result of the policy I announced. I think it is

also true that they now need to be thinking about how they borrow more

to invest in facilities they have. Those points are edgy by the Welsh

Government who added it was too early to say what the effect of the

changes would have. Welsh students will make the decision with the many

is spent and where they study. -- where the money is spent.

54 children have been taken to hospital as a precaution following a

coach crash in Newport. The pupils were returning to Pentrepoeth

Primary School after a swimming trip when their coach collided with a

lorry at the Tredegar Park roundabout. The children have since

been discharged and no-one was injured.

Council tax in Ceredigion could increase by 5% from April. The local

authority's cabinet voted for the rise as it aims to save nearly ?10

million in the next financial year. If councillors agree to the change,

the tax for a Band D property will increase by ?48 a year.

The amount of money farms make has fallen by nearly a third, partly due

to bad weather last spring. Official figures show the average farm

business made ?28,000 last year. The minister for natural resources says

he's put measures in place to support farmers and commissioned a

review into the resilience of the industry.

Negotiations on the future shape of industry.

your council are about to begin. The First Minister says he'll hold talks

with opposition party leaders to try to build support for local

government re-organisation. He was answering questions from Assembly

Members after a report yesterday called for a cut in the number of

councils from 22 to between ten or 12. Let's have a word with our

Political Editor, Nick Servini. Did we get any more of an indication

today of what happens next? We have got cleared a picture. Carwyn Jones

wants to get the support of opposition party leaders to try and

get this through so over the next few weeks he will talk with them. If

he can get support he will try and fast track the lawmaking process

that he will need to do to get council reorganisation introduced

and crucially he will do it over the next two years before the next

assembly elections. If he cant get this up port, what the parties want

to do will form their manifestoes and any developments will happen

after the next assembly elections. These talks are important because if

they don't succeed it could potentially push back reorganisation

by years. The other element we got today was a clearer picture of where

the opposition parties are because it won't be easy to him to persuade

them to support him. The Conservatives are most opposed to

some of these recommendations. Their leader remains to be convinced that

they did cancels run better services. -- that they get councils.

-- that they get councils. And it's not just the opposition he has to

convince. He has to convince his own party as well. He will also have to

convince council leaders that are members of the Labour Party. Take

the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Williams would like to see it emerge

with Cardiff. But there has been hostility to that from the Labour

leader. There may be a need to carry out some changes and have some

emerges but I think a wholesale slaughter of local government is not

the way forward. I think we are a very good authority. We had an audit

report recently which said our financial status is

report recently which said our we are carrying out a good job. So

an indication they are on the job we are carrying out a good job. So

his hands. I think finally it will come down to how successful and

persuasive come down to how successful and

about the cost savings from of proposed reorganisations.

Privately-run Parc Prison in Bridgend is the biggest jail in

Wales and will soon be the biggest in the UK. It's been commended by

inspectors at a time when the UK Government is weighing up the

options for a super-prison in North Wales. Parc is run by the security

firm G4S, a company who faced stiff criticism recently over government

contracts. Our reporter, Daniel Davies, went behind the prison walls

to meet staff and inmates. Putting down new routes. Good

behaviour has been to these inmates a chance to work out doors. The

prison says it wants to prepare prisoners for work. Prisoners like

this 22-year-old. It is about learning new things and it gives me

more opportunities when I get released. I will have more skills.

This workshop has been praised to the -- Chief Inspector of prisons.

But in a report today he says they weren't enough treatment programmes

for sex offenders. It's a turnaround for a prison per set by problems in

the past and a boost for the private firm that runs it. This month there

was a major disturbance at another of its prisons in Wolverhampton. The

inspector also praised the family unit as part prison. I am a father

and they have got the seven-year-old girl and the hardest thing is not

being able to see her. Everyone here wants the same thing. The prison

director told me they have to do more than Lott people up. By working

with their family, if we are able to re-establish family ties and look at

providing people with qualifications, we will be doing

something to contribute towards society being a safer place. If this

prison is on the right track, will it have any bearing on whether the

super prison in Wrexham goes to the private sector? The UK Government

says it's too early to decide. I don't find it palatable to

says it's too early to decide. I profit being made of keeping people

says it's too early to decide. I from -- in prison. We need a smaller

facility and it must in the public sector.

facility and it must in the public expansion will add more than 380

places making it the UK's biggest prison.

places making it the UK's biggest Much more to come before 7:00pm: Who

says January is bleak, grey and wet? Bodnant's winter attraction is

bringing a splash of colour. Should someone suffering from a

degenerative, terminal illness have the right to end their lives, how

and when they want to? Last year, 44-year-old Frances Medley from

Cardiff, who had multiple sclerosis, took her own life at home. She left

an emotional video message explaining her actions, details of

which you may find upsetting. This is a state meant to put my decision

to end my life now into context. I have not taken this decision

lightly. I have discussed this decision with my immediate family.

At no time did they know how or when I intended to implement this

decision. In September last year, Frances

Medley, a former head of the Arts Council in Wales, was found dead at

her home in the Vale of Glamorgan. She had taken an illegal drug which

she'd bought online. An inquest found that the 44-year-old had taken

her own life and had planned it meticulously. Frances Medley was

diagnosed with multiple sclerosis eight years ago. She recorded this

video message just days before her death. Even if the deterioration

could be halted now, my body and life has fallen short of the quality

I would wish to continue to live with. I don't want to inflict

further pain on the people I live -- I love. The video message was played

to the friends and family of Frances at her wake. They've now made it

publically available by posting it on the internet. A close friend

believes that since Frances couldn't ask for anyone to help her end her

life, as it would have meant them breaking the law, the video message

serves as a political statement of intent. She had such strong views

about what shoe was doing. She felt very passionately about ending her

life in her own way. She felt sad legally that it was necessary she

would have to be alone to do that. Cases, like those of Frances Medley,

raise some of the most profound ethical, moral and legal questions.

Just last month, the families of Paul Lamb and the late Tony

Nickleson took their fight to the Supreme Court. They want the law

changed so they can be allowed to die with the help of a doctor. But

assisting someone die with the help of a doctor. But

believe that proper end of life care die with the help of a doctor. But

gravest of illnesses. I find it very sad that we are having this debate

about whether you change sad that we are having this debate

licensed doctors to supply lethal having the debate about how do we

change the attitude so that everybody gets the care they need,

they feel they are in control of. Frances Medley asked not to be

judged on her actions, merely to accept her decision to end her life

at a time and manner of her own choosing. Her video will further

ignite the ongoing debate on assisted suicide and end of life

care. Rugby and as Wales' Six Nations

campaign gets underway, Jamie Roberts says the recent row between

the regions and the Welsh Rugby Union over money, control of the

game and tournaments could strengthen the game in Wales.

Despite the unrest, the national side is hoping to become the first

team to win three titles in a row. As players, everything takes place

in the boardroom and we don't have an influence on that. We can only

control what we can control. As negative as things are at the

moment, six-month stand the line Welsh rugby might become stronger

because of it. Regional rugby bosses have been

meeting with MPs in Westminster. They're in dispute with the Welsh

Rugby Union over funding and which competitions they will play in next

season. The Six Nations Council also met in London today to try and sort

out who would run European club rugby next season. The meeting has

broken up without a definitive solution.

Swansea City have confirmed that police were called to the club's

training ground following a row between defenders Chico Flores and

Garry Monk last Friday. Meanwhile, Wrexham could go into the

top half of the Conference tonight if they secure a win away at

Southport. The home side are currently nine points behind them in

the table. Now, it's been a pretty grey and

miserable day. So how about something to brighten up those

January blues? Most of us think gardens are best enjoyed when the

sun is out and the flowers blooming. But at Bodnant in the Conwy Valley,

they've planted a Winter Garden and as Roger Pinney discovered, visitors

are loving it. The garden here is -- the gardeners

here say it's a work in progress. It's less than two years since it

was planted but already there is a mature the to this winter garden. We

have different shapes and heights. Some are flowers. This is one of the

gardeners. There has been a real revolution in the last 20 or 30

years. People thought the window was acquired time in the garden and

suddenly we have all this wonderful colour. This plant was bred here. It

has got these most wonderful colour. This plant was bred here. It

flowers. Bodnant is one of the best-known and best loved

It draws thousands of garden -- visitors every year. Even today, in

the cold, people were enjoying it. There is so much you can do with the

Winter Garden and so much colour. Look around you. It is stunning. It

is absolutely beautiful. It's wonderful to come on these cold days

and see hope offspring. But it has taken a lot of work and planning.

Nothing in this garden is left to chance. Even the site is carefully

chosen. 10,000 plants, bulbs and shrubs are being put in. Elsewhere,

work is underway as much of this area was planted in the

19th-century. In March the public will be able to enjoy this area the

first time. But now it is the winter garden which takes pride of place,

bringing a little colour to a grey January day.

For gardeners everywhere, a full weather forecast. Here's Derek.

I'm sure many gardeners are desperate for a long, dry spell. It

has been a very wet month so far. Tredegar one of the wettest places.

Over nine inches of rain recorded by the middle of this month. The

average for the whole of January is 176mm. There's more rain and showers

to come this week with some drier, brighter spells in between. This

evening oubreaks of rain. Heavy in places. Soon drying-up in

Pembrokeshire though and this drier weather will reach the whole country

overnight. The wind falling light with mist and fog patches forming.

And chilly. Temperatures inland falling as low as 2C in rural areas

with ground frost and one or two icy patches. The front bringing today's

rain will trouble the eastern side of Britain tomorrow with another

front over Ireland. Here's the picture for 8:00am in the morning. A

dry, chilly start for most of us. Mist and fog patches as well. And

not dry everywhere. Heavy showers are likely in the Southwest,

Cardigan Bay, Gwynedd and Anglesey, perhaps with hail and thunder. So a

mixed bag tomorrow. Scattered showers but some places will stay

dry. There will be gaps in the cloud allowing the sun through at times.

Temperatures around 7C to 9C with a west to north-westerly breeze. In

Gwynedd tomorrow, a few showers but some dry weather as well. 7C in

Rhiwlas. In Torfaen, mist and fog patches will lift. One or two

showers but otherwise mostly dry. A little sunshine with a high of 8C in

Cwmbran. Tomorrow night, scattered showers will clear. Dry for a while

but more rain and showers will spread from the west later in the

night. On Thursday, some rain and showers. The showers turning wintry

on higher ground with a little snow. Drier in the afternoon with some

sunshine. On Friday, it's all downhill again. More rain. Some

heavy rain too. So very changeable. Saturday will

heavy rain too. So very changeable. I will be back at 8pm. Thank you for

heavy rain too. So very changeable. watching. From all of us on the

programme, good evening.