Calls for full consultation after Health Board backs merged option

FEARS are mounting over the future of stroke services in west Wales after Hywel Dda University Health Board backed a new configuration that could see specialist treatment centralised in Carmarthen, with patients in Ceredigion facing transfer from Aberystwyth.

At a meeting on Thursday (Feb 19), the Health Board rejected both of its original consultation options but voted in favour of a new “merged” proposal — known as Option 106/210 — which would place the main specialist stroke unit at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen rather than Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli.

Under the proposal, Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth would operate a Treat and Transfer model alongside a stroke rehabilitation service, meaning many acute stroke patients would initially be treated locally before being transferred for specialist care.

Ceredigion MS Elin Jones has welcomed the decision to move the main unit to Glangwili rather than Llanelli but warned that significant questions remain unanswered about what the new plans would mean in practice.

She said: “There is now considerable confusion around what may be proposed for stroke patients at Bronglais. Whilst Glangwili now seems likely to be the location of the Board’s main Stroke Unit rather than Llanelli, it’s less certain what the rehabilitation service proposed for Bronglais will entail.

“People in the Teifi Valley will be much better served by a Glangwili unit rather than face transfer to Llanelli. However, for Bronglais, the Treat and Transfer model remains in the new proposal, and no clarity has been proposed on how a safe and dedicated model of transfer for very ill stroke patients will be guaranteed.

“People will also want to know what a longer-term rehabilitation service at Bronglais will look like.”

Ms Jones said the Health Board must now produce a detailed alternative proposal followed by a full public consultation, including clear plans for ambulance transfers.

“At the very least we need now to get a detailed alternative proposal from the Health Board and there needs to be a meaningful formal consultation on the new proposal. This time it also needs to have a detailed plan for how ambulance transfer would be achieved,” she added.

Similar concerns have been raised by the Welsh Liberal Democrats, who argue that the new configuration still risks disadvantaging rural communities in mid and north Ceredigion.

Sandra Jervis, the party’s Senedd candidate for Ceredigion Penfro, said it remained “a deep disappointment” that Bronglais was being pushed towards a Treat and Transfer model.

“Whilst locating the 24-hour stroke unit at Glangwili Hospital is clearly more sensible than Prince Philip, it still does nothing to address the needs of patients in the north of Ceredigion and the wider rural Mid Wales catchment served by Bronglais,” she said.

“The unanswered transport concerns of so many residents remain exactly that, unanswered. Families are rightly worried about long journeys at the most frightening moments of their lives, and the Health Board has yet to provide clear guarantees on how safe and timely transfers will be delivered.”

She added that residents understood what Treat and Transfer meant in practice — the centralisation of acute services away from Aberystwyth — and the real issue was whether rural communities were being “short-changed”.

Stroke services have been one of the most contentious healthcare issues in the Hywel Dda area for several years, with campaigners repeatedly warning that longer travel times could affect outcomes for patients in remote areas.

The Health Board is expected to develop the merged proposal further before any formal consultation begins.

Health chiefs say the aim of the changes is to improve clinical outcomes by concentrating specialist expertise, but critics argue that geography and ambulance capacity must be fully addressed before any final decision is made.

Funding formula and visa rules among key issues discussed ahead of Senedd election period

THE WELSH Government has voiced concerns over fishing funding allocations, farm policy, and potential labour shortages during a recent UK-wide ministerial meeting on rural affairs.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, attended the latest Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs meeting on Wednesday (Feb 5), alongside ministers from the UK, Scottish and Northern Ireland governments.

One of the main topics was the UK Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund. Ministers from devolved administrations expressed disappointment that the Barnett formula had been used to determine allocations, arguing it failed to reflect the size and importance of the fishing sector in each nation or previous funding levels.

Talks also covered progress on negotiations for a UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, which could affect cross-border trade in food, plants and animals. Devolved governments welcomed engagement from the UK Government so far but stressed the need for continued cooperation, particularly around biosecurity and the legislative process required to implement any agreement across the UK.

Ministers also discussed the UK Government’s Farm Profitability Review — known as the Batters Review — and the emerging UK Food Strategy. Although these policies apply mainly to England, ministers noted they could still have implications for Wales and other devolved nations, highlighting the need for collaborative working.

A joint approach to banning peat use in horticulture was also agreed in principle, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) expected to set out possible timelines.

Concerns were also raised about proposed changes to UK work visa rules, which ministers warned could worsen shortages of seasonal agricultural workers, particularly sheep shearers. UK Government ministers acknowledged the risks and said discussions were ongoing.

The next meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group is scheduled for March 2026, ahead of the upcoming elections in both Wales and Scotland.

Hands-on coppicing sessions reconnect people with sustainable forestry heritage

PENGELLI WOODS in Pembrokeshire was filled with the sound of axes and saws last week as volunteers gathered to learn the traditional craft of coppicing during a hands-on woodland skills day organised by Cwm Arian.

Participants joined staff and students from Cwm Arian and Coppicewood College for a practical session exploring sustainable woodland management techniques that have been used in West Wales for thousands of years.

Coppicing — a method that involves cutting trees near ground level to stimulate new growth — was once central to how communities managed local woodlands. The cyclical process provided a reliable supply of timber for fuel, tools, fencing and craftwork while allowing forests to regenerate naturally.

During the session, volunteers watched experienced woodland workers fell trees using traditional tools including axes, billhooks and two-person saws, before taking part themselves in processing the timber. They learned how different sizes of wood can be used for a range of purposes, from small sticks for bread ovens and riverbank stabilisation to larger lengths suitable for furniture or construction.

Organisers said the day was not only about practical skills but also about reconnecting people with nature and heritage.

One volunteer said: “The session was a real reminder of how our ancestors cared for the land. It’s incredible to see how these low-tech methods were not only practical but also sustainable — lessons that feel increasingly relevant today.”

Between activities, participants took time to observe the woodland environment, listen to birdsong and reflect on seasonal changes, helping to build a deeper connection with the landscape.

The event forms part of the CoedUNO project, a Cwm Arian initiative that promotes sustainable land management, biodiversity and heritage skills across North Pembrokeshire. Further volunteering opportunities are planned in the coming weeks:

• February 25 (9:30am – 12:30pm), Felindre Farchog: Tree planting of fruit, nut and native species
• March 4 (1:30pm – 4:30pm), CoedUNO Tegryn: Agroforestry site session
• March 12 (10:00am – 4:00pm), Pengelli Woods: Processing a felled tree using billhook and saw

Organisers say the sessions demonstrate how low-tech, human-led forestry can be both productive and regenerative — offering valuable insights as communities respond to climate change and the transition to sustainable energy.

Cwm Arian is a Community Benefit Society based in West Wales, originally established through a community wind turbine project in Llanfyrnach. The organisation now supports homes, community buildings and local groups to develop renewable energy systems and reduce carbon emissions.

CoedUNO, based in Tegryn, is the first agroforestry demonstration site within the National Forest for Wales. Designed using permaculture principles, the site combines conservation, education and community engagement while supporting wildlife habitats across the Taf and Teifi catchments.

For more information or to book a session, contact Kevin, Volunteer Organiser at Cwm Arian: [email protected].

Photos supplied by Anna Mounteney.