Calls for “honest leadership” over future of Bronglais, Withybush and South Pembrokeshire

A WEST WALES councillor has accused health chiefs and the Welsh Government of repeatedly failing local communities over the future of hospital services.

Cllr Aaron Carey has issued a public statement calling for what he describes as “honest leadership and 21st-century care” for residents across Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

In his statement, Cllr Carey said hospitals including Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest are “lifelines” that must be strengthened rather than allowed to decline.

He claimed Hywel Dda University Health Board had repeatedly reassured the public that services would be protected, only for those assurances to be weakened or reversed.

“Time and again, residents have been told that no decisions have been made, that services are safe, or that changes are temporary,” he said. “Too often, those words have proven hollow.”

Cllr Carey also referenced long-running uncertainty over proposals for a new “super hospital” in the region, arguing that delays and ambiguity surrounding the project had contributed to what he described as “drift and decline” at Withybush.

He said Bronglais Hospital faces continued pressure, with concerns about staffing levels and the sustainability of key services in rural mid and west Wales.

The councillor further highlighted issues including long ambulance response times, pressures on GP surgeries, reduced community provision and difficulties accessing timely treatment.

Rural communities, he said, should not receive “second-class care”.

South Pembrokeshire Hospital closure

Cllr Carey pointed to the temporary closure of services at South Pembrokeshire Hospital over the Christmas period, which were later reinstated following public pressure and a petition he said he personally presented to the health board.

He claimed that those services were subsequently closed again “without warning or meaningful consultation”.

“This sequence of events speaks volumes about how decisions are being made and how little respect is shown for local voices,” he said.

Call for Welsh Government action

Cllr Carey said Hywel Dda Health Board operates under the oversight of the Welsh Government, which he argued must provide greater intervention and investment.

“We need honesty instead of spin, genuine engagement instead of box-ticking consultations, and a clear commitment to strengthening hospitals like Bronglais and Withybush for the long term,” he said.

In previous statements, Hywel Dda University Health Board has said it faces significant financial pressures and workforce challenges, alongside increasing demand for services across a largely rural region. The board has previously maintained that any changes to services are made with patient safety, sustainability and clinical evidence at the forefront, and that public consultation forms part of its decision-making process.

The Welsh Government has also stated that it continues to invest in NHS Wales, including capital funding for new facilities and improvements in community-based care, while working with health boards to ensure services remain safe and sustainable.

HEALTH staff across Wales and the rest of the UK are set to receive a 3.3 per cent pay rise from April after the Government accepted the latest recommendations from the independent review body – but unions say the increase still falls short after years of falling real-terms wages.

The decision follows months of pressure from unions representing nurses, paramedics, porters and other frontline staff, many of whom have taken industrial action in recent years amid rising workloads and the cost-of-living crisis.

The Health Secretary has confirmed that ministers will implement the headline award recommended by the NHS Pay Review Body for workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, meaning most staff covered by the Agenda for Change contract will see their salaries rise at the start of the new financial year.

Union leaders say the timing is welcome – but the figure itself does not go far enough.

Responding to the announcement, GMB Trade Union said the increase marks the first time in several years that NHS staff will receive their pay award on schedule, avoiding the delays that have previously left workers waiting months for back pay.

Rachel Harrison, national secretary for the union, said: “GMB welcomes the efforts made to ensure NHS workers will receive their pay increase when it is due, in April.

“The first time this will have happened in years.

“But this award is just not enough to make up for more than a decade of pay cuts under the Tories. NHS workers deserve more and GMB will fight for that at the long overdue Agenda for Change structural talks we have now been promised.

“GMB reps will now meet to discuss the pay award and determine next steps.”

Years of pressure

Health unions argue that although pay has risen in cash terms, inflation and years of below-inflation settlements have left many National Health Service workers worse off than they were a decade ago.

Since 2010, a combination of pay freezes, capped rises and soaring living costs has eroded real-terms earnings, with some estimates suggesting experienced staff are thousands of pounds a year worse off compared to pre-austerity levels.

Recruitment and retention remain major concerns across Welsh hospitals and ambulance services, with health boards continuing to rely on agency staff to plug gaps.

Union representatives say pay remains one of the biggest factors pushing experienced workers to leave the profession.

Impact in Wales

For NHS staff in west Wales, including Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, the award will be felt from April payslips, covering a wide range of roles from healthcare assistants and cleaners to nurses, paramedics and administrative teams.

While some will welcome the certainty of an on-time rise, local staff have previously told The Herald that rising energy bills, fuel costs and housing pressures mean even modest increases are quickly swallowed up.

GMB said it will now consult workplace representatives on whether further action is needed and will push for wider reforms during upcoming structural talks on pay bands and career progression.

The union added that “timely” must not be confused with “sufficient”.

For many on the frontline, the question is no longer just when pay rises arrive – but whether they are enough to keep the health service staffed at all.

Youth-led ‘Think Outside the Block’ toolkit rolled out to secondary schools across Pembrokeshire

A wNEW mental health and wellbeing resource designed by young people for young people has been launched in Pembrokeshire to mark Children’s Mental Health Week.

The county’s Children and Young People’s Rights Office (CYPRO) has unveiled Think Outside the Block – an interactive booklet and game aimed at helping pupils better understand emotional health and feel more confident talking about it.

The resource, launched this week (Feb 9–15), encourages open discussion, challenges common misconceptions and builds awareness around issues including anxiety, self-esteem, neurodiversity and general wellbeing.

Importantly, the project has been created by members of the Pembrokeshire Youth Assembly, working alongside CYPRO and the Primary Mental Health and School In-Reach teams.

The idea grew out of the county-wide “What Matters to You?” consultation, where young people identified mental health and emotional wellbeing as one of their top concerns. Participants said terms linked to mental health and neurodiversity are often used without clear understanding, which can create confusion and stigma.

Think Outside the Block aims to tackle that by using accessible language and interactive activities to help children explore key topics and develop the vocabulary they need to speak openly about how they feel.

Over the coming days, CYPRO will distribute the resource to secondary schools across the county. Staff will be able to use it in classrooms, youth settings and dedicated wellbeing sessions.

A spokesperson for CYPRO said: “This project has been led by young people, for young people. Their voices and experiences have shaped every part of this resource.

“We are delighted to share it with schools across the county and support meaningful conversations about mental health, emotional health and wellbeing.”

The Youth Assembly continues to play a central role in representing the views of young people locally, with this latest initiative described as a strong example of co-production in action..

Picture: Members of the Youth Assembly launch the Think Outside the Block resource (Pic: Supplied).