Among the many reasons given for the ongoing high number of delayed transfers of care – which has resulted in problems getting patients into as well as out of hospital – has been the lack of care home places in the community.

New Assembly Health Minister Edwina Hart has been warned she will face a no confidence vote if neurosurgery is lost from Swansea.Dai Lloyd, Plaid AM for South Wales West, has laid down the challenge to Mrs Hart to keep the service at Morriston Hospital or face a crisis of confidence in the minority Labour-led administration.

A Welsh Assembly Member has pledged to help disabled workers facing redundancy. Five Welsh Remploy factories, including one in Bridgend, are set to close as part of a company shake-up.

Hospital patients and staff are being offered treatment by officials fighting a bird flu outbreak in north Wales. Nearly 80 at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd at Bodelwyddan are being offered tamiflu as a health worker is treated.

The Welsh Ambulance Service has claimed its current performance is the best in its history after it hit response targets for the second month running. Figures for April reveal the service reached 66.3% of life threatening emergencies inside eight minutes.

Welsh children as young as 12 are dealing drugs and 11-year-olds are being arrested for possession, police figures reveal. The number of playground pushers and users has risen significantly in many parts of the country with at least 288 youngsters aged 16 and under arrested for drug offences between 2003 and 2006.

Newport politicians say a £600,000 grant for a drugs rehab centre in the city is a welcome boost in the fight against drug addiction. The grant, awarded to the Kaleidoscope centre, will help treat around 200 drug addicts.

The Government must spend an extra £3.8bn if it is to reach its target of halving child poverty by 2010, a leading charity has warned.

Welsh projects have received nearly £250,000 of Lottery cash. A total of £224,873 has been awarded to 64 community groups in this month’s round awards from the Awards for All Wales programme.

Union leaders yesterday warned of a national strike in factories – including one in Wales – employing disabled people after a leaked document confirmed that plans have been drawn up to close a number of sites.