News
HEART UNIT NEXT TO GO: Alarm as Withybush Hospital faces more cuts

NEWS that the Cardiology service at Withybush General Hospital is to shut has come “like a bolt from the blue” according to local health campaigners.
Widespread fears that the removal of essential services in paediatrics and special baby care were the thin end of the wedge and represented “salami-slicing tactics” by the Health Board appear to have been borne out by the announcement of plans to substantially cut the provision of cardiac care in Haverfordwest.
A week after well over 500 local people protested outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay, the Health Board chose to release a report dated January 27, 2014 into the future of cardiac care in West Wales.
Relying on what is described as “anecdotal” evidence, the Board commissioned the report in September last year to review cardiac care, around the same time its plans for neonatal care were referred to an a separate expert panel.
THE HEALTH BOARD did not publicise the referral of cardiac services and it was not mentioned by Mark Drakeford, Welsh Health Minister, who rejected the idea that services would be “salami sliced” away from the Haverfordwest hospital.
It is understood that the report proposes further downgrades to outlying general hospitals and the centralisation of cardiac care on West Wales General, Carmarthen.
The press release carried on the Local Health Board’s website says that the report was commissioned “following concerns raised” but fails to say by whom. The Pembrokeshire Herald understands that concerns were raised within the Local Health Board itself by two cardiologists and not by an outside agency.
Local Health Board Medical Director Dr Sue Fish said: “Our patients deserve the best possible care and we would like to reassure patients we take the issues raised in the report very seriously.
“The review did not look at any specific issues relating to individual patients and has not identified any parts of the service that are currently unsafe.
“However, it did make a number of recommendations advising us on how they believe we should configure cardiology services to improve the care of patients across the university health board.
“We will have to consider the recommendations very seriously before reaching a decision on how we implement them.”
Surprisingly, the members of the panel writing the report not only failed to visit West Wales General Hospital, they also failed to visit Bronglais and Withybush Hospitals or to speak to the families of patients who had received treatment at those hospitals.
The conclusion that the panel has drawn is:
“The reality for Withybush and Bronglais is that the current situation is not tenable. Patients served by these hospitals do not appear to receive optimum care.”
Sue Fish responded to the report saying:
“It’s important to stress that no decisions have been made as the project board will need to consider the recommendations with our expert clinicians before firm decisions on the best way forward are made.”
The Health Board will provide its official response to the report at the public board meeting in May. The announcement comes a week to the day after the protest by outraged Pembrokeshire residents at the gradual and ongoing movement of essential health care services away from our County’s only general hospital.
As the Health Board had the report on January 27, it is not clear why its publication was delayed until March 12.
Spokesperson for SWAT Chris Overton said:
“The cardiology move is not a surprise. Very soon all inpatient services will be centralised at Glangwili. There is no room there and nothing is ready!
“The Chairman and Chief Executive are jumping ship. The Welsh Government seem willing to sacrifice a few lives just to save money. None of this was in the Health Board’s consultation, which was a farce. Hopefully we can really expose this now in court! “The next marches and demonstrations need to be much bigger. Are you with us?”
The next protest march to Withybush is scheduled for Saturday, April 12 and a fundraising craft fair will take place on Sunday, April 6 at the Picton Centre, Haverfordwest.
Spokesperson for SWAT Chris Overton said:
“The cardiology move is not a surprise. Very soon all inpatient services will be centralised at Glangwili. There is no room there and nothing is ready!
“The Chairman and Chief Executive are jumping ship. The Welsh Government seem willing to sacrifice a few lives just to save money. None of this was in the Health Board’s consultation, which was a farce. Hopefully we can really expose this now in court!
“The next marches and demonstrations need to be much bigger. Are you with us?”
The next protest march to Withybush is scheduled for Saturday, April 12 and a fundraising craft fair will take place on Sunday, April 6 at the Picton Centre, Haverfordwest.
Community
Choir joins Welsh Guards Band for memorable concert

PEMBROKE and District Male Voice Choir shared the stage with the renowned Band of the Welsh Guards during the band’s tour of Wales, delivering a stirring performance at Harri Tudur School hall.
A capacity audience enjoyed the collaboration, with the choir and band uniting for powerful renditions of Welsh classics Cwm Rhondda and Gwaddoloddiad. The Band of the Welsh Guards also performed a medley of traditional Welsh folk tunes and music from the acclaimed film Wicked.
Choir MC Matthew John introduced the evening in his distinctive style, while the choir’s set—featuring newly added pieces Let A New Day Dawn and Tell My Father—was selected by Musical Director Juliet Rossiter. Accompanist William Lambert, a recent addition to the choir, provided support on the keyboard.
The event was co-ordinated by Councillor Aden Brinn, with distinguished guests including Deputy Lord Lieutenant Sharon Lusher, Pembrokeshire County Council Chairman Councillor Steve Alderman, Mayor of Pembroke Councillor Ann Mortesen, Senedd Member Sam Kurtz, and mayors from neighbouring communities.
Proceeds from the evening were donated to the Welsh Guards Charity. A special guest was David Silcox of Haven Self Storage, whose company has sponsored an impressive banner to promote choir concerts.
A moment of silence was observed in memory of the choir’s senior member, Frank Harries, who recently passed away at the age of 95.
The following evening, the choir performed again at Monkton Priory Church, raising funds for the RNLI in another well-attended concert.
Community
Castle Ward Councillors Meet at Waldo Lounge to Discuss Residents’ Concerns

ON MONDAY (Mar 11), County Councillor Thomas Baden Tudor, alongside Councillors Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner and Dani Thomas-Turner from Haverfordwest Town Council, held a joint meeting at the Waldo Lounge.
The gathering provided an opportunity for the councillors to address issues raised by Castle Ward residents and discuss matters of local concern. Councillors were joined by representatives from Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust and Haverfordwest, Fishguard, and St Davids Police, who provided valuable updates on their current and future plans.
Councillor Tudor expressed his gratitude to the services for their insightful contributions, which highlighted ongoing efforts and future projects aimed at improving public services in the area.
Education
Children learn how delicious potatoes are produced locally in Pembrokeshire

SCHOOL children from across Pembrokeshire, aged from five to 16, learnt how the food produced locally is delicious and nutritious during a highly successful ‘Food Story / Stori Bwyd’ event, held by the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society.
During the event potato, dairy, sheep and poultry farmers from all over the county volunteered their time to talk to the children and give hands-on demonstrations. They explained to the children how they produce potatoes, dairy products, eggs and meat. They also demonstrated how they farm sustainably, look after local wildlife and how they care for the countryside.
The event was held on the Pembrokeshire County Showground and the focus was on potato growing, production and supply. The children also got the opportunity to taste locally produced jacket potatoes with a variety of toppings cooked perfectly and served by staff from Castell Howell.
Kathy Wilson, a former teacher and now an Honorary Pembrokeshire Show Governor, organised the event on behalf of the Society’s Food Story / Stori Bwyd. She said, “I would like to say a massive thank you to each and every one of the volunteers and who took two days out from their busy work on the farm to come and talk to the children and demonstrate how they produce food and drink. A big thanks also to the local providers who contributed to the event. The smiles on the faces of the children said it all, they listened intently, enthusiastically took part in the demonstrations and the teachers took resources back with them to their schools to continue the learning.
“One of the important elements of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s work is educational and spreading the word around the county about how local food is produced by farmers. Everyone enjoyed eating the jacket potatoes after they had learnt how hard the farmers work to produce them.”
As well as food production, the event was an opportunity to teach the children about the seasonality of what farmers produce locally and how the weather and climate affects the work farmers do as well as the different food groups and healthy eating.
Adam Thorne, Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s President was one of the farmers who volunteered their time to talk to school children at the event. He said, “The Society would like to thank Kathy Wilson and Jo in the show office for all the hours they have put in to organise this magnificent event. To see how much the children enjoyed learning how their food is produced through hands-on demonstrations is heart warming.”
Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society would like to thank NFU Mutual Pembrokeshire, the CLA Charitable Trust and Women in Wales, for their financial support. Thanks also to the Camrose Vintage Working Day for their support as well as the NFU, Wales Farm Safety and Puffin Produce for providing educational resources and buckets for the schools and pupils.
Food Story volunteers will be at the County Show on 20 and 21 August 2025 with an interactive display and demonstrations for children to have fun and take part in to learn where their food comes from.
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Geoff Sizer
March 20, 2014 at 7:30 am
This is going to be death by a thousand cuts for Withybush Hospital – so sad and so serious for the residents of Pembrokeshire
Teifion
March 22, 2014 at 9:12 pm
If everyone could make an appointment for their heart attack or stroke we’ll be fine with that “golden hour” where treatment is a must
Elizabeth
February 15, 2015 at 12:57 pm
This is dreadful news once again the people in Pembrokeshire are being forgotten. Glangwilli is outdated and unable to cope now without all the extra patients when the closure happens and it will regardless to how many protests we have, No consideration has been thought of with regards to the families who are going to have to travel so far to visit loved ones, A disgrace .
stephen
February 15, 2015 at 10:47 pm
tell me who the hell is taking all the money + glangwilli have they doubled the size of it? they need to the way h west are closing the wards, perhaps someone wants to build a housing estate on the hospital site for immigrants, good money in that so i heard.