Paul Davies vows Senedd fight as fears grow over travel times and patient safety

PEMBROKESHIRE patients will be forced to travel further for lifesaving treatment after a controversial decision to remove emergency general surgery services from Withybush Hospital.

The move was confirmed following an extraordinary two-day meeting of the Hywel Dda University Health Board held on Wednesday and Thursday (Feb 18–19), where senior officials took decisions on nine services as part of the organisation’s long-running Clinical Services Plan.

The decision has sparked immediate political backlash, with local Senedd Member Paul Davies condemning the outcome and warning it represents another major blow to healthcare provision in Pembrokeshire.

Mr Davies said: “I’m extremely angry that Hywel Dda University Health Board has once again decided to remove services from Withybush Hospital,” he said.

“Patients will now have to travel for emergency general surgery services and it’s another example of the Health Board doing whatever it wants, against the will of the people of Pembrokeshire.

“This is the latest in a long line of services that has been stripped from the hospital over the years and is further evidence that the Health Board is pushing a centralisation agenda that punishes the people of Pembrokeshire.”

Clinical Services Plan

Last year, the Health Board consulted communities across west Wales on proposed changes to nine services considered “fragile and in need of change,” including critical care, dermatology, emergency general surgery, endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, stroke, radiology and urology.

The consultation covered the region’s four main hospitals — Withybush in Haverfordwest, Glangwili in Carmarthen, Prince Philip in Llanelli and Bronglais in Aberystwyth.

Health chiefs previously said the services were selected because of risks around sustainability, staffing and the ability to deliver safe, timely care.

During the consultation process, communities submitted around 190 alternative ideas, later narrowed down to 22 potential options for consideration by board members.

What the decision means

Following the board’s decision, emergency general surgery operations will no longer take place at Withybush Hospital.

However, the Health Board says same-day emergency care (SDEC) services at Withybush will be strengthened.

For the other hospitals in the region, there will be no change to emergency general surgery provision, apart from an expansion of same-day emergency care at Glangwili Hospital.

Board members stressed that the changes would not happen immediately.

Chief Executive Phil Kloer told the meeting the proposals were aimed at “improving the quality of service for the public,” adding that a Pembrokeshire-preferred option — alternating emergency surgery between Withybush and Glangwili on different weeks — had raised safety concerns among clinicians and managers.

Other service changes

The board also backed changes to critical care services.

Under the plans, intensive care provision will remain unchanged at all hospitals except Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli, where the intensive care unit will be replaced by an enhanced care unit, with the sickest patients transferred elsewhere.

Political backlash

Mr Davies said he was “appalled” by the outcome.

“The Health Board is obsessed with removing services from Pembrokeshire and has spent years downgrading and removing services from Withybush Hospital,” he said.

“As one constituent has rightly said, the Board should be rebranded the Carmarthenshire Health Board, as it continues to strip assets from other hospitals in west Wales.”

He warned the decision could undermine emergency care locally.

“Removing general emergency services critically undermines the sustainability of Withybush Hospital’s A&E department and will result in patients having to be transported for urgent treatment.

“This is not acceptable – I will be taking this to the Welsh Government and urging Ministers to intervene and stop the Health Board from making this catastrophic decision.”

Wider concerns

The removal of emergency general surgery from Withybush is likely to reignite long-running concerns about healthcare access in west Wales, particularly around travel distances, ambulance pressures and the resilience of rural health services.

Campaigners have repeatedly warned that losing specialist services increases risks for patients facing time-critical conditions.

A full statement from the Health Board is expected following the conclusion of the meeting.

Board papers and meeting information are available via the Health Board website.

What the document actually says — and what it does not

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT published a review in February 2026 examining the impact of the default 20mph speed limit on Wales’ trunk road network.

Trunk roads are major routes managed directly by the Welsh Government rather than by local authorities.

The review follows the introduction of Wales’ default 20mph policy in September 2023, which changed the default speed limit on restricted roads — generally those with street lighting — from 30mph to 20mph.

Importantly, the document is not a review of the entire national 20mph policy. Instead, it focuses specifically on whether certain sections of trunk road were appropriate at 20mph.

Key findings

Some trunk road sections may be unsuitable at 20mph

The Welsh Government acknowledges that when the default limit was introduced, it also affected certain trunk road sections that may be more suitable at higher speeds.

The review identifies locations where a return to 30mph is being considered.

Examples mentioned include sections of the A483 and A494.

These are proposals only. No automatic changes will occur.

The overall 20mph policy remains in place

The review does not recommend scrapping the default 20mph policy.

Instead, it forms part of an ongoing process to refine how the policy is applied in practice.

Guidance issued in 2024 already allowed local authorities to exempt roads from the 20mph limit where appropriate.

Implementation will take time

Any changes to trunk road speed limits require:

• Detailed assessment
• Safety checks
• Legal traffic orders
• Public consultation

As a result, any alterations are likely to take months or longer to complete.

Consideration of transition speeds

The review also examines whether transitions between 20mph and higher-speed roads should be improved to reduce driver confusion.

This could include the use of intermediate “buffer” speed limits where appropriate.

What the review does not say

The document does not state that:

• The national 20mph policy “went too far”
• The policy has failed
• The policy will be reversed
• The policy should be scrapped

Such claims are political interpretations rather than conclusions reached by the review itself.

Political reaction

The Welsh Conservatives have used the review to renew criticism of the policy.

Shadow Transport Secretary Sam Rowlands MS said the findings show the policy “went too far” and has harmed the Welsh economy.

He also referenced estimates suggesting a potential £9 billion economic impact — a figure previously cited in political debate around the policy.

The Welsh Government has consistently disputed claims of major economic harm.

Welsh Government position

Ministers maintain that the 20mph policy aims to:

• Reduce road collisions and injuries
• Improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists
• Encourage active travel
• Improve public health outcomes

Early government data has suggested reductions in collisions and casualties on roads where speeds were lowered.

Officials argue that refining limits on specific roads is part of normal policy development rather than evidence the policy itself is flawed.

Wider context

The default 20mph policy has been one of the most controversial transport measures introduced in Wales in recent years.

Public reaction has included petitions calling for reversal, political debate in the Senedd, local authority reviews of road classifications, and an ongoing national discussion about safety versus convenience.

The Welsh Government review confirms that some individual trunk road sections may have been set too low when the default 20mph policy was introduced.

However, the document does not conclude that the overall policy was a mistake.

Instead, it represents a refinement process, with possible targeted changes rather than any reversal of national policy.

Political parties continue to interpret the findings differently, reflecting the wider debate about speed limits in Wales.

The Cabinet Secretary confirmed the review is now complete and that targeted changes to some trunk road speed limits are being proposed following detailed assessment.

THE UK’s independent press regulator has rejected a complaint from Ajay Owen about a Pembrokeshire Herald article, concluding there were no grounds to investigate any breach of the Editors’ Code of Practice.

The complaint related to an article published on November 25, 2025, headlined “SARS boss published children’s photos, named social-workers and claims ‘legal trafficking’”.

After reviewing the complaint, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) determined that the concerns raised did not identify a possible breach of the Code, including allegations relating to accuracy and privacy.

Accuracy complaints dismissed

Mr Owen argued that the article was inaccurate in several respects, including references to photographs of children appearing in social media posts, concerns raised by residents, and the description of a contact number as a personal number.

IPSO found that where it was not disputed that posts included images containing children, it was not inaccurate or misleading to report that photographs of children had been published.

The regulator also concluded it was not significantly inaccurate to report that concerns had been raised by residents in both Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, noting the central point was that community members had expressed concerns.

IPSO further found no significant inaccuracy in describing a contact number linked to the organisation as a personal number.

In relation to references to named social workers appearing in posts, IPSO noted that Mr Owen appeared to accept posting the names, and therefore it was not misleading to report concerns raised by residents about that action.

Mr Owen also alleged a breach of privacy over the publication of an image showing him alongside a logo and signature.

IPSO concluded that the photograph was clearly a public-facing professional headshot connected to his role, and therefore there was no reasonable expectation of privacy.

Because IPSO determined the complaint did not raise a possible breach of the Editors’ Code, the regulator decided there were no grounds to open a formal investigation.

Mr Owen has the right to request a review of the decision by IPSO’s Complaints Committee within seven days.

A spokesperson for The Herald said: “We welcome IPSO’s decision, which confirms that our reporting met the required standards of accuracy and responsible journalism.”