Swansea Bay NHS

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

Why Home First? Recovering at home after a hospital stay reduces the risk of physical and mental health problems associated with time spent in a hospital bed. It also helps speed up your recovery. Learn more at: www.gov.wales/home-first

05/02/2026

Born prematurely, twins Jessie and Abi were cared for by the incredible NICU team at Swansea Bay. Today, they’re thriving seven-year-olds and their family has chosen to give back.

To mark their birthday, the Mathias family asked for donations instead of gifts, raising an amazing £2,000 for Singleton NICU.

“We are hugely grateful for everything the NICU team did for Jessie, Abi, and all of us.”

Their generosity will help support babies and families at their most vulnerable. Thank you for turning gratitude into action 💙
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Ganwyd yr efeilliaid Jessie ac Abi yn gynamserol, ac fe’u gofalwyd gan dîm anhygoel NICU Bae Abertawe. Heddiw, maen nhw’n ffynnu’n blant saith oed, ac mae eu teulu wedi dewis rhoi’n ôl.

I nodi’r pen-blwydd, cododd y teulu £2,000 i NICU Singleton drwy ofyn am roddion yn lle anrhegion.

“Rydym yn hynod ddiolchgar am bopeth wnaeth tîm NICU ei wneud i Jessie, Abi, a ninnau.”

Diolch am wneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i deuluoedd NICU 💙

Swansea Bay NHS

05/02/2026

Could you support hearing aid users at a drop-in clinic near you?
The Audiology Department is recruiting volunteers to provide local help and advice to hearing aid users in the Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea areas.
We are looking for friendly, caring individuals with good communication skills and manual dexterity. All volunteers are provided with full training and support.
This is the only volunteer role open for recruitment at this time.
If you are interested, please contact audiology via email: SBU.audiology@wales.nhs.uk
Thank you.

05/02/2026

A tutor who struggled with depression and anxiety found “life-changing” online support through a free NHS Wales service.

Former maths teacher Iain Messenger had experienced anxiety for decades but said looming retirement and the collapse of his marriage were the final straw.

He called the NHS 111 press 2 mental health service after experiencing crippling panic attacks, low self-esteem and ‘dark thoughts’.

He was signposted to SilverCloud Wales, an online platform offering guided self-help programmes for mental health and wellbeing.

Speaking out to coincide with Time to Talk Day – the nation’s biggest mental health conversation – 58-year-old Iain said: “The sense of hopelessness dissipated almost immediately.

“I realised I wasn’t the only one - other people were dealing with the exact same problems and feelings. I no longer felt alone.”

The former teacher, who lives near Welshpool, decided in 2024 to quit the classroom and focus on private tutoring.

But handing in his notice coincided with a marital breakdown, and he began each day of his final months in work battling panic attacks.

“I was struggling with my close relationships, and basic decision-making always turned into a drama,” Iain explained.

“I felt useless, wandering about not able to focus on anything. I couldn’t even read a book or watch the TV.

“I had some pretty dark thoughts – that I was a disaster, and no use to my family. I was in a real mess.”

Iain said seeking help through 111 press 2 in June last year was a ‘huge’ and ‘humbling’ step.

“It’s a bloke thing - you put on a front and pretend you’re OK,” he explained. “And I was typical in that regard, I wouldn’t really speak to anybody.

“You feel like the only person in the world who can’t do life, but then when you phone 111 press 2 and they go through the list of questions, it’s instantly relatable. You realise you’re not the first person to be there.”

Iain was referred for counselling but was advised to try SilverCloud while he waited for an appointment.

The platform features online courses based on cognitive behavioural therapy for issues including depression, anxiety, poor sleep and stress.

Access is free to anyone in Wales aged 16 or over, without seeing a GP.

“I was sceptical at first,” Iain admitted. “I just couldn’t see how an online platform was going to work, I thought I needed someone to press the right buttons and fix me.

“But going through the programme, there were scenarios that described exactly how I was feeling. I identified with so much of what was being said.

“And I was now actively doing something to get well. Just having a plan in place meant I went almost immediately from hopeless to hopeful.”

SilverCloud Wales is managed by NHS Wales’ Online CBT Service, based at Powys Teaching Health Board.

Over 41,000 people have accessed the Wales-wide service since it piloted in Powys in 2021.

As well as programmes for adults, the platform has courses for students and young people, and for parents supporting children and teens with anxiety.

SilverCloud’s three most popular programmes – addressing anxiety and depression – are also available in Welsh.

Online CBT Service project manager Fionnuala Clayton said: “Time to Talk Day reminds us how important it is to speak up when you’re struggling – it’s often the first step to feeling better.

“But we know that isn’t always easy, and that’s where SilverCloud can help. It offers flexible, confidential support you can access straight away, without waiting for a GP appointment. We’re delighted to see the difference it’s made to Iain’s life.”

Iain added: “I’m still using the lessons I picked up through SilverCloud, and they’re becoming more embedded in my thinking.

“I’m grateful - on a daily basis - for the things I learned. It’s been lifechanging.”

Sign up to SilverCloud at: nhswales.silvercloudhealth.com/signup

04/02/2026

Many women are faced with an unplanned pregnancy and can find it hard to make a decision about what to do.

Our Pregnancy Advisory Service can help you by providing support, advice and information to help you make this decision.

You can refer yourself to the service by completing an online form here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=uChWuyjjgkCoVkM8ntyPrqk1McOPPUJAioNS9pezMJBURTVQNzRGRU1TNFQxR0RJWldMMk1WVk1YNiQlQCN0PWcu&origin=QRCode&route=shorturl

A member of the team will aim to call you back within 72 hours on a withheld or unknown number.

The service is staffed between 8am and 2pm between Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 12.30pm on Friday. If you haven’t received a phone call within 72 hours, please contact the team on 01792 200303.

Please do not ring if you have completed the form and 72 hours has not passed.

For any other urgent enquiries, please contact 111.

You can find more information about the service here: https://sbuhb.nhs.wales/community-primary-care/a-z-community-services/sexual-health-services/unplanned-pregnancy-visit-our-pregnancy-advisory-service/what-the-pregnancy-advisory-service-offers/

04/02/2026

A special fundraising event was hosted today by Swansea’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Cheryl Philpott, to mark World Cancer Day.

Councillor Philpott has chosen Swansea Bay Health Charity’s Going the Extra Mile for Cancer appeal as her official charity of the year.

Going the Extra Mile for Cancer aims to raise £200,000 for our flagship South West Wales Cancer Centre at Singleton Hospital.

Councillor Philpott has already hosted several events in support of the appeal.

Today she was joined by our Chair, Jan Williams, and Charitable Fund Committee Chair Nicola Matthews for a coffee morning held at The Mansion House.

The event was an opportunity to engage with Swansea Bay Health Charity and with the South West Wales Cancer Centre team.

Also attending was entertainer and broadcaster Kev Johns, who has himself received cancer care at Singleton and is one of the appeal’s staunchest supporters.

The coffee morning was well attended, with more than 60 people there, while raising more than £1,700 for Going the Extra Mile for Cancer.

(Pictured: Health Board Chair Jan Williams, Lord Mayor Councillor Cheryl Philpott, Kev Johns MBE, Charitable Funds Committee Chair Nicola Matthews and Lord Mayor’s Consort, Steve Philpott)

04/02/2026

It can be hard knowing where to turn for the right healthcare advice. If you are feeling unwell, but are not sure what to do, NHS 111 Wales can help. NHS 111 Wales online can check your symptoms, provide trusted healthcare advice, and find your local GP, pharmacies, Minor Injuries Unit and other professional services nearby.

04/02/2026

Being told you may have cancer and need an urgent hospital referral to find out one way or the other is one of the most anxious and worrying times in anyone’s life.

Now a suite of five videos has been created which offer information and support and empower people to make positive changes for their health, while they wait for their appointment.

The first video explains the urgent referral process - and emphasises how most people referred to hospital this way do not end up with a cancer diagnosis.

The other videos discuss managing anxiety and ways to improve overall health and wellbeing, including physical activity, nutrition and dealing with harmful habits.

View the videos via this YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZCo7SZSH_W4PMnWHQqLCUeAtcvvjjLP3

The project has been led by Dr Gemma Eccles, Swansea Bays’ Primary Care Cancer Clinical Lead, supported by Jo Horton, Consultant Therapist and Lead for Cancer Therapies.

The videos are believed to be the first offering health optimisation advice for people who have been referred to hospital on an urgent suspected cancer pathway.

Today is World Cancer Day, and the clinicians behind the videos have talked about why they’ve made them.

Gemma explained: “The vast majority of patients referred into hospital on urgent suspected cancer pathways will not be diagnosed with cancer.

“But understandably patients can feel quite anxious and helpless at this time as they are worried that they may have cancer.

“We wanted to empower them to be able to make positive changes for their health and use their waiting time to get as fit as possible prior to being seen. We also wanted to offer advice on managing the anxious feelings and worry that waiting for an urgent appointment can bring.

“Even if they thankfully do not get a cancer diagnosis, this time is still a great opportunity for people to think about their lifestyle and make changes if there are things they can do to improve their health.”

Jo added: “Urgent suspected cancer appointments can often be given at short notice. We wanted to make videos to prepare people for what to expect so that they are better able to get ready for their appointment.

“We hope that watching the videos will offer some reassurance to patients who are waiting to be seen, as well as giving some simple tips for improving their health and managing the worry that can come with having an urgent referral.”

The videos, which have now been endorsed by the National Cancer Team at NHS Wales Performance and Improvement, can be found on the Swansea Bay UHB website via the ‘Waiting Well’ section, and are also available - in English and in Welsh – via the YouTube playlist already mentioned earlier: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZCo7SZSH_W4PMnWHQqLCUeAtcvvjjLP3

03/02/2026

If you are waiting for treatment or surgery, it's important to make sure that you are as fit and healthy as possible.

Staying active, eating healthily and quitting smoking will help you to 'wait well' and boost your overall health and wellbeing.

You can find a lot of information and support on our Waiting Well web pages, which we hope you'll find useful in the time leading up to your appointment.

You can also find out about new ways to take control of your healthcare, like signing up to the Swansea Bay Patient Portal.

The pages contain information about quitting smoking, sleep advice, wellbeing and mood support and how to empower your healthcare, and much more.

Waiting for your treatment or operation can be frustrating, particularly when waits can be longer than they should be as health services strive to catch up after the pandemic. We apologise for delays that some patients may be experiencing, but please be assured that we are working hard to reduce waiting times.

You can find information and advice on our Waiting Well pages on the health board website here: https://sbuhb.nhs.wales/hospitals/waiting-well/

03/02/2026

Welsh Blood Service aims to have at least 7 days of each blood type to help patients in need across
💉 Can you help by giving blood?
❤ Book today! https://wbs.wales/SwanseaBayHB
🤔 Don't know your type? No problem, they'll do that bit for you when you donate!

03/02/2026

So grateful for our amazing volunteers 💙 In just six months, the radiotherapy tea bar at Singleton Hospital has raised £5000 through tea, coffee and snacks - every cup helping us 'go the extra mile for cancer' patients, families and staff. Thank you to everyone who gives their time, kindness and donations. Every little bit truly makes a difference 🫱🏼‍🫲🏼
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Diolch o galon i’n gwirfoddolwyr anhygoel 💙 Mewn dim ond chwe mis, mae’r bar te yn yr adran radiotherapi yn Ysbyty Singleton wedi codi £5000 drwy werthu te, coffi a byrbrydau - mae pob cwpan yn ein helpu i 'fynd yr ail filltir i gleifion canser', eu teuluoedd a’r staff. Diolch i bawb sy’n rhoi eu hamser, eu caredigrwydd a’u rhoddion. Mae pob cyfraniad yn gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol 🫱🏼‍🫲🏼

Swansea Bay NHS