Health

Withybush loses emergency surgery in shock health board decision

Published

5 months ago

February 19, 2026

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.

***Paul Davies MS: “Extremely angry” at the announcement.***

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.”

Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Peter Fox MS, said: “This will be concerning news for patients and families in Ceredigion and across mid and West Wales.

“Downgrading emergency general surgery services in the area will mean longer journeys for urgent care, increasing pressure on patients, families and ambulance services.

“The Health Board must focus on investing in local infrastructure and ensuring safe, timely access to care, rather than centralising services and leaving communities facing longer travel times in critical situations.”

Also Commenting, Local Welsh Conservative Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz MS said: “Residents in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion are being treated like second class citizens, as it is always us in the West that has to see our services cut.

“The salami slicing of services is exactly what the Labour government have wanted, and the health board are delivering. This is a sad day, and residents will rightly be angry and concerned.”

Kerry Ferguson, Plaid Cymru Senedd election candidate for Pembrokeshire said: “We are so disappointed with the Health Board’s decision to remove the current emergency general services from Withybush. Whilst the Board has committed to maintaining and strengthening Same Day Emergency Care, residents of west Pembrokeshire will still face at least an hour’s journey to receive emergency operations or significant treatment.

Residents in Pembrokeshire are rightly worried and anxious about the services Withybush might lose, and losing their emergency general services is a huge blow.

I call on the Health Board to urgently reconsider their decision, and to take into account the risks and impact that implementing option A will have on residents 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.

Charity

Charity donation transforms chemotherapy waiting room at Glangwili Hospital

Published

7 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A £26,273 donation from the West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group has helped create a calmer and more comfortable space for patients undergoing cancer treatment

A GENEROUS charitable donation has helped transform the patient waiting room at Glangwili Hospital’s Chemotherapy Day Unit.

Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, has used a £26,273 donation from the West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group to fund a major refurbishment of the unit’s waiting room and adjacent kitchen.

The West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group is a patient-led group of volunteers working across West and South West Wales, offering support to prostate cancer patients, as well as their families and friends.

The project has created a more welcoming, comfortable and calming environment for patients receiving treatment, along with relatives and carers who accompany them to appointments.

Before the refurbishment, the waiting area was described as dated, dark and uninviting, in contrast to the compassionate care provided by staff within the unit. Patients can often spend long periods in the space before treatment or clinic appointments.

The work included the removal of old fixtures, full redecoration, new flooring and ceiling, the purchase of more comfortable furniture, and the addition of artwork to help improve the atmosphere.

Gina Beard, Lead Cancer Nurse, said: “We are so grateful for the donation from the West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group, which has enabled us to transform the space.

“This has made a real difference to our patients. We’ve been able to create a space that feels less clinical and more comforting. The calming colours and comfortable seating help ease anxiety and make a difficult time a little more bearable for patients and their loved ones.”

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, added: “We are deeply grateful to the West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group for their donation.

“Your generosity has enabled us to create a pleasant and relaxing space for patients and their families.”

Hywel Dda Health Charities supports NHS patients and staff across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

Health

Deputy Minister sets out priorities for social care, mental and women’s health

Published

1 day ago

July 8, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Plans include same-day mental health support, a National Care Service for Wales and action on women’s health

PLANS to improve access to social care, provide same-day mental health support and strengthen women’s health services have been outlined by the Welsh Government.

Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health Delyth Jewell said she wanted to give greater prominence to areas which she believes have not received the attention they deserve.

Her priorities include progressing plans for a National Care Service for Wales, with the ambition of delivering social care that is free at the point of need.

The Deputy Minister also said safeguarding arrangements would be strengthened to better protect children and adults at risk.

Mental health services are set to move towards a model of open-access, same-day support, with 21 demonstrator sites already underway and further rollout planned.

The Welsh Government said future action on dementia will also be set out in a new Dementia Strategy for Wales, focusing on brain health, earlier diagnosis and improved support.

A Women’s Health Summit will also be held later this month, bringing together women with lived experience and clinicians.

The summit will focus on tackling the normalisation of pain, with work already underway to improve endometriosis and abortion services, as well as maternity safety and support for families who experience the loss of a baby.

Delyth Jewell said: “I want to help shine a light onto areas that haven’t had the focus they are due.

“On mental health, women’s health, and yes, the social care system that for too long has been undervalued.

“These areas deserve more attention and prominence. They deserve a voice in the heart of government, and I promise I will give that to them.”

Alzheimer’s Society’s National Influencing Manager Gemma Roberts said: “We are delighted that the Welsh Government has reaffirmed its commitment to developing a new dementia strategy for Wales. We stand ready and eager to work with the Welsh Government to turn this ambition into a reality.

“People with dementia in Wales routinely face prolonged delays to diagnosis followed by gaps and stark inequalities in treatment and support. Delays of this scale have quietly become routine for dementia, Wales’s biggest killer, but would not be accepted for cancer or heart disease. It’s vital that the Plaid Cymru manifesto commitment to a diagnosis target of 12 weeks is included in the new strategy.

“The science is flying with faster, more accurate diagnosis and new treatments on the horizon. With the delivery of a bold dementia strategy for Wales that tackles diagnosis, care and support, delivering the transformation that people living with dementia need.”

Community

Hywel Dda reaffirms commitment to Armed Forces community

Published

2 days ago

July 7, 2026

Tom Sinclair

HYWEL DDA UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD has reaffirmed its commitment to the Armed Forces community by re-signing the Armed Forces Covenant.

The covenant was signed at the Wales National Armed Forces Day 2026 event, held at Pembrey Country Park on Saturday, June 27.

It was signed on behalf of the health board by Armed Forces Champion and Independent Board Member Michael Imperato, alongside Lisa Gostling, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Workforce and Organisational Development.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a national promise to ensure that members of the Armed Forces community are treated fairly. It supports serving personnel, veterans, service leavers and their families, with a veteran defined as anyone who has served for at least one day.

By re-signing the covenant, Hywel Dda says it is continuing its role as an Armed Forces friendly employer and healthcare provider across west Wales.

This includes supporting the recruitment and employment of veterans, recognising military skills, providing additional support for reservists, offering flexible working for service families, working with partner organisations, supporting cadet groups and Armed Forces charities, and improving access to healthcare for veterans.

Anyone currently serving, or who has previously served in the Armed Forces, can find out more about the support available through Hywel Dda University Health Board’s Armed Forces Covenant pages.

Staff who are part of the Armed Forces community can also access support through the health board’s Armed Forces Staff Network by contacting [email protected].