Patients inappropriately placed at Ocean Views, alongside shortages of housing, and delays in social care packages has resulted in bed blockages, the Mental Health Board Report 2026 has found. Inappropriate placements include those who are undergoing drug and alcohol detox, in need of access to Elderly Residential Care facilities, or have a disability. The 230-page report detailed that these blockages prevent wards from fully delivering their primary function of rehabilitating patients and facilitating their safe transition back into the community, Due to shortages in housing, or patients waiting for a placement in ERS or elsewhere, there are patients instead spending months in Ocean Views when they should be elsewhere. In one case, a patient has been waiting in Ocean Views for a placement in Dr Giraldi Home for two years despite it being acknowledged that a long-term solution is needed. The report called this situation untenable, highlighting the need for...

Gibraltar faced a tough lesson against Kosovo in the Futsal World Cup preliminary qualifiers this Thursday. Playing in Montenegro, Gibraltar were punished for early mistakes in the first half, with Kosovo leading by seven goals at the break after stamping their authority on the match. Finding space behind Gibraltar’s defence and quickly taking their opportunities, Kosovo repeatedly caught Gibraltar on the wrong foot, making it a steep learning curve for the side. Kosovo, who entered UEFA at the same time as Gibraltar, showed the level of strength that has developed across their ranks in futsal. The second half started with Kosovo looking as if they would repeat their first-half dominance, adding an early goal. However, a determined and resilient Gibraltar side managed to stall the flow of goals and continued to search for a way to get on the scoresheet. It was not to come. Gibraltar held on until the...

The deep fissures in Spanish politics were evident in the Congress on Thursday as Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares hailed a “historic” treaty on Gibraltar that would bring down “the last wall in continental Europe”, while opposition MPs branded it “a fiasco” that gave Gibraltar EU benefits for little in return.  Mr Albares was addressing the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Congress on the Middle East crisis and the UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar, and the battle lines were clear from the outset.  Mr Albares began with a lengthy, detailed and unambiguous criticism of US and Israeli actions in recent weeks, but so too of the stance taken by Spanish opposition parties Partido Popular and Vox.  The world, he said, was facing its biggest threat since World War II and the Spanish Government had made clear its opposition to the war and its commitment to the rule of law. Less so the PP and Vox, he added.  And while the conflict in Iran and Lebanon – not forgetting Ukraine too – were...

Gibraltar table tennis national team player Jacks Thomas Anthony was to complete and excellent tournament in El Puerto de Santa Maria ahead of Easter taking podium in the Andalucia Table Tennis Circuit.Jack Thomas Anthony, representing his club CD El Puerto TM was to complete an impressive run during the tournament with a 3-0 victory in the final. Leaving little doubt as to his superiority in the table on the day.His triumph came on Saturday, March 28, raising praise among Gibraltar players. Screenshot Source link

Former Spanish foreign minister Alfonso Dastis said Spain has lost leverage in its relations with Gibraltar as a result of the UK/EU treaty, arguing Madrid has prioritised frontier fluidity while failing to secure wider strategic gains. In an interview with the Campo newspaper Europa Sur, Mr Dastis said the agreement had diluted the influence Spain secured during the Brexit process, when it won recognition that any future EU agreement relating to Gibraltar would require Spanish consent. He said that leverage had since been weakened because Spain was not a direct contracting party to the treaty, which is between the EU and the UK. As a result, he said, Spain would have less control over the detailed implementing arrangements that still need to be developed. He said that while Spain may retain a consultative role and some influence through the European delegation in the oversight committees, the resulting arrangements would no...

Gibraltar rugby’s U15s selection take to the field this Friday against visiting side Oldfield Rugby U15. The match which is to be played at Lathbury Barracks this Friday with a 7pm kick off, is one of a number of matches played by youth teams during the Easter break.Both the U14s and U16s were in action in tournaments in San Roque and Marbella this past weekend.The U16s will be in action in San Roque, in another tournament, on Saturday.Also playing this Saturday will be the Barbarians who face Badajoz in an away match. Source link

Gibraltar women’s footballers did not have much of a break this Easter weekend as the national team prepared for their next round of World Cup European qualifier group matches.With a 25-player squad announced ahead of Easter, Stella Gotal and her technical team put the players through their paces this weekend.The squad, all of whom are amateur players, swapped their club shirts for Gibraltar training kits as they stepped onto the field at Europa Sports Stadium under the guidance of head coach Stella Gotal.The Gibraltar women’s head coach, a former Croatian international player herself, will be facing her home nation in a double-header for the first time. Speaking to this newspaper ahead of the match, in an extensive interview which will appear in Monday’s print edition, she commented:“When comparing Gibraltar to a country like Croatia, the first thing to acknowledge is the size of the player pool. Croatia has a population...

The European Blackball Nations Cup gets underway this Thursday at the Europa Sport Complex, with an opening ceremony scheduled for 9am marking the start of eleven days of competition. The event, which runs from April 9 to 19, will see over 250 players and eighteen associations from across the globe competing in what is one of the largest tournaments undertaken by the Gibraltar Pool Association. Gibraltar will be strongly represented, fielding 17 teams across multiple categories. This year’s edition is expected to be among the strongest in recent times, with organisers introducing new state-of-the-art tables, enhanced solutions for spectators, high-end streaming media facilities and professional-grade lighting. The tournament will also be broadcast globally, with live streaming and results services available for those unable to attend in person. Months of preparation have gone into staging the event, with organisers viewing it as a key step towards establishing Gibraltar as a hub...

Gibraltar-born brothers Nathan and Benjamin Berger have made an impressive mark on the international wingfoil scene, securing first and third place respectively at the Spanish Wingfoil Freestyle Championships held in Chiclana, Cádiz, last week. The competition was the overall Spanish adult championships, making their achievements all the more notable given their ages. Nathan is just 16 years old, while his younger brother Benjamin, known as Benji, is 15. Wingfoil is a discipline where riders glide above the water on a hydrofoil board, using a handheld wing to generate lift and speed. In the freestyle category, competitors perform a range of technical aerial manoeuvres, including front and back flips. Nathan is no stranger to success, having previously been crowned Spanish and World Youth Champion. For Benji, however, this marks his first time reaching the podium at adult level, despite having already won the Spanish youth title (under-16) last year and previously...

The Gibraltar Government has issued a weather advisory for heavy rain overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday. “Cold fronts associated with a low pressure system west of the Iberian peninsula will bring persistent and heavy rainfall at times overnight,” it said. “Although the highest accumulations are forecast to the east of Gibraltar, there is a risk that accumulations over Gibraltar may reach 25 mm in six hours.” The advisory is valid from 11pm on Tuesday, April 7, to 8am on Wednesday, April 8. Weather advisories are issued when there is a risk of rainfall totals of 25mm or more in a six-hour period, but less than 50mm, the Government said. “This could lead to difficult travel conditions with standing water on roads and cause localised flooding in prone areas,” it added. Source link