18/09/2014 BBC Wales Today

The family of 73-year-old Sonia Powell, who died

in the back of an ambulance outside a Swansea hospital, say they've been

Today the Health Minster admitted the Welsh NHS is under pressure.

These scenes are more common in mid winter than in mid-September

This was Morrison Hospital yesterday afternoon, with ambulances queueing

outside A in the back of one ambulance yesterday

afternoon, Sonia Powell, mother of five, grandmother of 14 and

She'd been transferred from nearby Neath Port Talbot

Hospital after a heart attack that no bed could be found for her.

The doctor was in there and he was facing my auntie

and my auntie then said to him, "She's gone, she's died."

And they turned then and then they checked and said,

It's the worst feeling ever because she

Nobody deserves to die outside hospital.

Both Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board and

the ambulance service launched an investigation and the health board

insists Mrs Powell was assessed by a doctor in the ambulance three

They said a doctor also stayed with her until

The family said that wasn't the case.

Nobody came to see my mum till four minutes after she passed away.

Last winter, the senior A doctor at Morriston spoke of having to

treat patients in the hospital car park and yesterday, the BMA in Wales

warned that the whole of the Welsh NHS could soon be in meltdown.

Our problem is that there is a danger in not listening to front

All the reports have raised concerns about patient safety

and highlighted not listening to doctors, not listening to nurses

The BMA joins a growing list of organisations and individuals

calling for an independent enquiry into the state of the Welsh NHS.

The Welsh Government maintains that type of investigation isn't needed

because it argues it has enough safeguards when things go wrong

but the Health Minister does admit, there's a huge amount of strain

The NHS in Wales is a system under pressure.

The age of austerity is absolutely real.

In it, demand goes up or ability to meet

the dmeand through matching that demand with resources compromised

Nevertheless, the big picture story is

Before Mrs Powell died, this family was already grieving.

Her sister died of cancer some hours earlier.

Now they say they are devastated again and in this case,

Things are being cut back in the hospitals all the time.

And the ambulance drivers that were with my gran that day, they couldn't

The impact plain to see of an emergency care system, yesterday

The votes are being counted and tomorrow we will know if Scotland

The outcome of the referendum is being closely watched here in Wales.

Our political correspondent Daniel Davies is at the Senedd

The polls closed about half an hour ago but it will be near a breakfast

time on Friday before we know the result and 412 that's results mean

in Wales, for the politics it's conducted in this building, that's

the key question for Welsh politicians who are watching and

waiting to hear what Scotland decide. The first minister says the

old union is dead. The Welsh Secretary says there is an appetite

for change and the nature of the debate in Scotland as a certainly

shaped the debate here in Wales. More tax-raising powers potentially,

some are already being devolved. There are further proposals on the

table to give the assembly new powers over areas like policing. All

the political parties are trying to decide to what extent and when that

they'll devolved those powers and the influence this decision in

Scotland will have on those decisions in Wales. We are all eager

to find out. We'll be contributing to the BBC's results service

overnight but like everyone in Britain, it's out of our hands.

You can follow the very latest on the Scottish referendum

Coverage begins here on BBC One Wales

You can also follow events on BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru.

And the results will be on the BBC News websites in English and Welsh.

Six women have been convicted of operating a pyramid scheme

in which thousands of investors in South Wales and south

Investigators say more than ?20 million was invested.

Run mainly from people's homes at meetings like this, the scheme

But it cost those same friends and family thousands.

The lady was like asking all these questions to get your money back but

I just gave this ?3000 in a little brown envelope and that went.

Starting with one person at the top, they bring in two friends,

they recruit two friends, and they in turn recruit two friends.

Now the eight at the bottom each paid ?3,000 to the one at the top.

That person gets more than ?20,000 but if the people

at the top are to get the money, you need millions of new members or

Members were told it was safe and legal.

It became the first pyramid scheme prosecution and a new consumer laws.

Today, the last of six women from the Bristol area were convicted for

For so many, the lure of money for nothing seemed like a golden

opportunity, but thousands across Caldicot, Chepstow, Caerphilly

Conwy Council has voted to discuss a voluntary merger with Denbighshire.

The Welsh Government wants to reduce the number of local authorities here

from 22 to around 12 and is urging voluntary agreements

But Wrexham Council says it is not keen on joining up with Flintshire.

A difference in philosophy - that was the reason given for

Cardiff City parting company with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer today.

He resigned from the job, with the club 17th in the Championship.

Tonight, former Cardiff City striker Craig Bellamy has ruled him

There's one thing you can say about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The results in the performances show that things went well under his

leadership but it's been a difficult time for him and the Premier league

underfoot at the time he was the wrong appointment. Time for the

weather now. I know some of you wouldn't mind a drop of rain for the

garden. A few have recent storms and showers are expected in the next 24

hours but very hit and miss. Tonight, showers will spread

northwards across the country and some of them could be heavy with

rumbles of thunder, some low cloud and mist and another warm, met the

night. Tomorrow morning, very hit and miss. Some places will start

strike with showers around, heavy and tenderly in places, brighter and

part of the West. Across the rest of the UK, scattered, thundery showers

moving northwards. Elsewhere, a grey, misty start, the best of the

sunshine in the south and south-west with rain in the North of Scotland.

Temperatures, 18 Celsius in Glasgow, 21 in London. Still a few showers

tomorrow afternoon with the rumble of thunder but a lot of places will

miss them and stay dry. Some hazy sunshine in parts of the south and

West and once again, temperatures above average for this time of year,

feeling humid. Tomorrow night, further scattered showers and low

cloud and Mr swell, some health park and another most night. Saturday,

further showers, heavy and tenderly in the South during the afternoon,

however, the north, west and mid Wales should become dry and

brighter. Sunday, high pressure back in charge, so Sunday, the best day

of the weekend with sunny spells and cool and fresh with lower humidity.

I wish you a good night.