AN EMERGENCY call for councillors to fight a “total failure of the people of Pembrokeshire” downgrading of services at Withybush hospital has been backed.

At the March meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, an emergency notice of motion by the council’s 11-strong Conservative Party group demanded that the Welsh Government immediately reverses the decision to cease emergency general surgery at Withybush Hospital.

Last year, Hywel Dda University Health Board consulted with its communities on options for change in critical care, dermatology, emergency general surgery, endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, stroke, radiology and urology.

At a recent two-day meeting, the board, amongst its many other decisions, backed changes into emergency general surgery which will see no emergency general surgery operations taking place at Withybush, but a strengthening of the same-day emergency care (SDEC).

At the March council meeting, the Conservative council group, led by Cllr Di Clements, proposed a motion which read: “This council requests that the Labour Welsh Government intervenes in Hywel Dda University Health Board’s recent decision to cease emergency general surgery at Withybush hospital and immediately reverses their decision.

“We believe removing this service critically undermines the sustainability of Withybush hospital’s A&E department.

“Also, the decision by the Health Board does not take into account the impact and potential serious risks it will have on Pembrokeshire residents.”

Cllr Clements’ supporting statement, which included a call for Leader Cllr Jon Harvery to write to the First Minister and Welsh Government, said Pembrokeshire residents “have seen continual downgrading of services over the years, and this has been detrimental to all residents,” adding: “We believe this recent decision is life threatening to those who need emergency surgery and a matter of resident’s safety.”

At the meeting, Cllr Michael John said “there had been an erosion of services for many years,” supporting Cllr Clements’ call, but proposing the addition of calling on the health board to meet with councillors.

Newly-elected Fishguard county councillor Billy Shaw, himself a former biomedical scientist who had worked at Withybush, said the service under Hywel Dda University Health Board had become “Carmarthenshire-centred”.

Following the request by Cllr Clements, Leader Cllr Jon Harvey agreed to any letter writing, saying he had “fought long and hard to return services to Withybush”.

He gave the personal example of an operation he had over a decade ago at Withybush, saying if he had had to travel to Glangwili he had been told he “wouldn’t be here today, as simple as that”.

“There’s been an erosion of services year-on-year, it’s just not acceptable.

He finished: “It’s important we show the health board and Welsh Government we care for our residents.”

Cllr Rhys Jordan said: “It’s a total failure of the people of Pembrokeshire, Hywel Dda has taken emergency services away Pembrokeshire and once again it will be the people of Pembrokeshire that pay the price; it’s our families, our neighbours, our elderly and children.”

He added: “What does that say about how we are managed? Pembrokeshire can be managed with less, that we should be grateful for less; Pembrokeshire is not a second-class Wales.

“This decision must be reversed. Pembrokeshire deserves better than being failed again and again.”

Members backed Cllr Clements’ call, with Cllr John’s amendment added.

Welsh Labour has said that, if it wins the May Senedd lections, it will commit to a new multi-billion-pound west Wales hospital, a proposal described as a “pre-election distraction” by Conservatives.

The long-mooted hospital plan, previously proposed in St Clears and Whitland locations, was put on hold by the health board for financial reasons.

Research suggests legacy of pit closures still shaping health and mortality across former mining communities

A NEW academic study has found that communities with a history of coal mining experience dramatically higher rates of deaths linked to suicide, alcohol misuse and drug poisoning.

Researchers from Bangor University analysed mortality data from across England and Wales and found that so-called “deaths of despair” are 53% higher in areas with a coal mining past compared with places without a mining history.

The study, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, examined patterns of mortality between 2015 and 2023 and is believed to be the first research of its kind to investigate the long-term health impact of coal mining’s decline.

Long shadow of industrial decline

The term “deaths of despair” refers to deaths caused by suicide, alcohol-related disease and drug poisoning. It was originally coined by researchers in the United States to describe rising mortality among working-class communities experiencing economic decline.

The Bangor study suggests similar patterns are visible in Britain, particularly in areas where coal mining once dominated local economies.

Researchers say the data points to the lasting impact of industrial collapse, economic instability and deep-rooted health inequalities that continue decades after pits closed.

Lead author Eurwen Williams, who conducted the research while training as a clinical psychologist at Bangor University, said the findings reflect the lived reality of many communities.

“As a clinical psychologist, reflecting on our research into deaths of despair in former coal mining communities, I am struck by how clearly the data echoes the lived realities of growing up and practising in North Wales,” she said.

“Behind every data point is a life lost and the story of a community living with the consequences of industrial decline, economic instability, and longstanding health inequalities.

“Distress does not arise in a vacuum; it is profoundly shaped by social and structural change.”

Warning for the future

Co-author Dr Christopher Saville said the findings highlight how persistent health inequalities can become once industrial communities lose their economic base.

“It is sad to see just how persistent these health inequalities are,” he said.

“At a time when we are talking about AI causing a new wave of deindustrialisation, it is vital that we learn the lessons from the last time around and avoid some of the mistakes that were made.”

Lessons from the coalfields

Coal mining shaped large parts of Wales for generations, particularly the South Wales Valleys where entire towns grew around pits.

However, the industry’s rapid decline during the late twentieth century, culminating in widespread pit closures in the 1980s and 1990s, left many communities facing unemployment, economic hardship and social upheaval.

Researchers say the study demonstrates how those changes may still be affecting public health decades later.

While the coal industry itself has largely disappeared, its social legacy remains deeply embedded in many former mining areas.

The researchers say their findings underline the importance of tackling structural inequality alongside individual health support.

Communities still paying the price

The study concludes that the health consequences of industrial decline can persist across generations if communities are not supported through economic transition.

Researchers say the findings should inform future policy decisions, particularly as new technological changes threaten to reshape labour markets once again.

The authors warn that without careful planning and investment, new waves of economic disruption could produce similar long-term consequences for communities across the UK.

Elin Jones and shadow health minister call for upgrading Bronglais

PLAID CYMRU has pledged to develop Bronglais Hospital into a “Hospital of Rural Excellence”, arguing that healthcare in mid Wales must be designed specifically for rural communities rather than based on models developed for major cities.

The commitment was made by Ceredigion MS Elin Jones, who is also Plaid Cymru’s lead Senedd candidate for the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency, alongside the party’s Shadow Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor.

The pledge comes as concerns continue about the future of services at the Aberystwyth hospital, including proposals which could see the stroke unit downgraded.

Ms Jones said Bronglais has faced repeated threats of service reductions over the years and called for renewed focus on recommendations made in the 2014 Mid Wales Healthcare Study, led by Professor Marcus Longley and commissioned by the Welsh Government.

The study was carried out following earlier proposals to centralise emergency surgery and obstetric services away from the hospital.

Ms Jones said: “We know that Bronglais is a small hospital and the numbers coming through its doors are not the same as in large city hospitals. Models of service delivery designed for large population centres are not always appropriate for smaller rural hospitals.

“However, being smaller does not mean a hospital cannot be modern, innovative or cutting-edge. In fact, rural hospitals often need to be even more innovative, particularly in the use of telemedicine and new ways of delivering care.

“There was real momentum following the Marcus Longley review to design bespoke rural health services for mid Wales, and progress was made for a time. Unfortunately that momentum appears to have been lost during the covid period.

“It is now time to revisit those ambitions and work across health board boundaries to develop Bronglais as a hospital of rural excellence.”

Plaid Cymru says the hospital’s catchment area stretches across a vast geographical region, serving communities in Ceredigion as well as large parts of Powys and Gwynedd.

Mr ap Gwynfor said rural healthcare systems in other parts of the world could offer useful lessons.

“Bronglais serves a very large geographic area covering much of Gwynedd, Powys and Ceredigion,” he said.

“With the right political direction from the next Welsh Government, we have an opportunity to plan services in Bronglais in a way that genuinely meets the needs of rural Wales.

“Countries such as Canada and Australia have developed successful models of rural health excellence. By learning from best practice internationally, working across health board boundaries, and collaborating with professional bodies such as the Royal Colleges, we can build a service that excels in telemedicine and has a workforce plan suited to rural areas.”

Plaid Cymru says it believes Bronglais could become a national centre for innovation in rural healthcare if the right long-term strategy and investment are put in place.