Photograph from CardiffandVale.art The creative arts can offer a powerful contribution to the experience of patients in care settings but, more importantly to a person’s wellbeing. There is an ever-growing body of evidence that demonstrates the benefits of the arts in health and social care settings. For example, a study in London found that after engaging with the arts, 79% of people in deprived communities ate more healthily, 77% engaged in more physical activity and 82% enjoyed greater overall wellbeing….

A mum from Cardiff will be taking on the Cardiff Half Marathon to raise funds for Diabetes UK Cymru after her daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Amanda Lyon, 36, said her world was turned upside down when Emily, 5, was diagnosed with the condition in January. Now she is determined to complete the 13.1-mile challenge on Sunday 7 October to raise awareness of the condition and to fundraise for Diabetes UK Cymru. Diabetes UK Cymru’s Know Type 1…

A talented young footballer who received a traumatic brain injury from an unprovoked assault is running the Cardiff Half Marathon for Cardiff & Vale Health Charity to say thank you to the staff at the University Hospital of Wales for saving his life. Kristian Speake was taken to the University Hospital of Wales following an assault in Haverfordwest in February 2018. Kristian tells us his story: “For 24 days I was in a coma on the Critical Care Unit at the Heath…

The Maternity Team from Cardiff and Vale University Health Board have been shortlisted in the Nursing Times 2018 Awards for their work in lowering caesarean section infection rates. The nursing profession will come together at the Nursing Times Annual Awards ceremony in October to recognise, reward and celebrate the best in nursing. The Maternity Team were reported to have had a poor rate of infection in those having a caesarean section. However, the team did not have the evidence to…

A YOUNG graduate who started going to church because so many of the clients he cares for are religious is in the running for a top award. Ross Camacho’s dedication was rewarded when he was shortlisted as a finalist at the prestigious Wales Care Awards, know as the social care Oscars.  He began attending Cornwall Street Baptist Church near his Cardiff home last October and he was baptised this August at the age of 23. “Most of my clients, particularly…

Dementia is an umbrella term that is used to describe a set of symptoms that people experience when certain brain functions are affected by diseases of the brain. The most common symptom associated with dementia is memory loss, although all sorts of brain functions can be affected which can impact a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. In 2016/17, Welsh Government estimated that there were around 5000 people in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan living with dementia, 63.4% of…

The British Transplant Games have been held every summer since 1978 and are open to anyone who has been a recipient of a donated organ. In doing so, the games demonstrate the benefits of transplantation and the necessity for donor organs. They encourage transplant recipients to recover and regain their fitness after their operations and increase public awareness of the NHS Organ Donation Register while thanking and celebrating the generosity and compassion of donors and their families. Teams of recipients…

    Almost 50 children from a Cardiff primary school took part in a free Food and Fun/Bwyd a Hwyl programme this summer, set up to ensure all children have access to enrichment experiences, sport and educational activity sessions, as well as benefitting from two healthy meals each day during the long break from the normal school routine. Hwyel Dda Primary School in Ely was visited by Cabinet Secretary for Education Kirsty Williams AM who was keen to see how the…

Dementia is currently a global health priority due to worldwide ageing populations. It is estimated that every 3 seconds someone in the world develops dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term that is used to describe a set of symptoms that people experience when certain brain functions are affected by diseases of the brain. The most common symptom associated with dementia is memory loss, although all sorts of brain functions can be affected which can impact a person’s ability to perform…

New campaign launched across health board to help keep patients active and independent On the 17 April, Cardiff and Vale UHB launched this initiative in conjunction with the nationwide #EndPJparalysis challenge. The nationwide 70 day, 1 million patient day #EndPJparalysis challenge runs from 17 April 2018 – 26 June 2018 as part of the NHS 70th birthday and complements their ‘Get up, Get dressed, Get moving’ campaign. Once admitted to a hospital, many patients resign themselves to simply staying in…