News
Withybush Hospital: Health board plans for paediatric service cuts

HYWEL DDA heath board’s announcement that its plans to transform clinical services are ‘to move to the next stage’ did not include the detail of what those plans include.
At a public board meeting held in Llandeilo on November 21, Board members approved the move to phase two (the Design Phase) of the Transforming Clinical Services (TCS) programme having considered the independent analysis report (undertaken by Opinion Research Services) on the TCS listening and engagement exercise (the Discover Phase), which concluded in September 2017.
The transformation consultation, in which the Board sought to seek public responses on proposed cuts to local services, was followed by an independent clinical review by Dr Alex Mayor.
The content of that review, while obliquely referred to in a Board press release, is not detailed.
The Herald examined the report before the board, on which it intends to engage in ‘a comprehensive programme of communication and engagement activities with [the] local population across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire next year’.
The Board has agreed to take these forward and to incorporate further planning of Women and Children’s services under the umbrella of our ‘Transforming Clinical Services’ programme.
The Board expresses the hope that the further engagement ‘will build on the success, and learning points, from the TCS listening and engagement exercise ‘the Big Conversation’.’
However the Board’s press release fails to mention what the recommendations actually are upon which it has set up a task and finish group ahead of public consultation on the decisions it intends to make.
The recommendations include the following:
- No return to twelve hour care provision at Withybush for the Paediatric Ambulatory Care Unit (PACU)– ‘whilst recruitment attempts to all vacant posts should continue, transition to a consultant ‘delivered’ PACU model Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm by a single, integrated team of acute paediatric consultants should be explored and confirmed at the earliest opportunity’;
- Consultant-led PACU services to be concentrated at Glangwili at weekends;
- Acutely unwell children should be admitted directly to Glangwili;
- Glangwili to be the centre for the whole board area for children and young people;
- Elective paediatric surgery should return to Withybush;
- Emergency paediatric surgery at Withybush should end.
Those recommendations are supported by the independent expert engaged by the Board confirming that many of the fears expressed by campaigners during the long – and ultimately unsuccessful – fight to retain core services at Withybush have come to fruition.
The papers considered by the Board state: ‘Dr Mayor has advised that, although well intentioned, the UHB’s desire to provide as much acute care as possible at WGH since 2014 without a comprehensive supporting infrastructure of 24/7 paediatric, anaesthetic and A&E skills has effectively weakened the overall acute paediatric service as limited staff resources have been stretched and care pathways have become confused’.
Dr Phil Kloer, the Board’s Medical Director, said: “It is important to reassure people that, at the present time, the operating hours of the PACU at Withybush Hospital will continue to be from 10am to 6pm, seven days a week.
“We are making significant efforts to progress the development of a safe and sustainable longer term staffing model for the unit as part of the wider Transforming Clinical Services design phase and formal consultation in 2018 and we will provide further updates as this work develops.”
News
A40 closed after serious crash near Wolfscastle

AIR AMBULANCE LANDS AT SCENE AS TRAFFIC DISRUPTED
THE A40 between Wolfscastle and Haverfordwest was closed in both directions on Friday afternoon (Apr 11) following a serious road traffic collision.
The crash, which was first reported at 12:10pm, prompted a significant emergency services response, including Dyfed-Powys Police and the Wales Air Ambulance, which was seen landing at the scene shortly after the incident.
AA Roadwatch confirmed that the road was shut in both directions, with slow-moving traffic and congestion reported in the surrounding area for several hours after the collision.
Police urged motorists to avoid the area and to seek alternative routes while emergency crews dealt with the incident.
At the time of writing, no official update has been given on the number of vehicles involved or whether there were any injuries. Dyfed-Powys Police have been approached for comment.
Traffic disruption remains ongoing, with live road maps showing long delays approaching Haverfordwest from the east.
More updates will follow as information becomes available.
Crime
Police investigate alleged assault at Milford Haven property

OFFICERS from Dyfed-Powys Police have been maintaining a presence at a property on Marble Hall Road, Milford Haven, as part of an ongoing investigation into an assault.
The Herald understands that the front door of the property has been boarded up with plywood, prompting concern and speculation from local residents.

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Officers have been undertaking scene preservation in relation to an investigation of assault.”
No further details have been released at this stage, and it is not yet known whether any arrests have been made.
Residents told The Herald they noticed police activity at the address earlier this week, with officers attending the property and cordoning off the area.
The Herald will provide further updates as more information becomes available.
Business
Haverfordwest opticians celebrate 100 years of long service

WALES’ LARGEST Specsavers store is celebrating a series of individual long service milestones, with nine team members collectively marking a century of long service in 2025.
At the heart of the celebrations is Andy Britton, ophthalmic director at Specsavers Haverfordwest, who has worked at the company for 20 years.
Since becoming a partner in 2006, Mr Britton has overseen the store’s transformation from a small site with just four test rooms to a state-of-the-art £1.2 million premises at 21 Riverside Quay. The enhanced store now boasts 14 test rooms equipped with cutting edge technology and a significantly larger team, growing from 11 to 45 employees.
Haverfordwest residents benefit from Mr Britton’s clinical expertise – he holds multiple postgraduate diplomas that allow him to prescribe medication directly to customers, helping to ease pressure on local GP surgeries and hospitals. He has also led the introduction of enhanced services, including glaucoma monitoring, ensuring more people can access specialist care closer to home.
Reflecting on his career, Mr Britton says: ‘It’s been a privilege to serve the Haverfordwest community over the last 20 years. I’m proud of the team we’ve built and the progress we’ve made – all with the aim of delivering the best possible care for our customers.’
Mr Britton’s anniversary was celebrated alongside colleagues Elise Evans, Gareth Riley and Carrie Lewis-Jones – each marking 15 years with Specsavers – as well as other team members celebrating 10 and five-year milestones.
Fellow director, Wayne Jones, was among those celebrating five years with the business, after joining the Haverfordwest store in 2020. He was named a finalist for Optometrist of the Year at the Optometry Wales Awards in 2023 and then in 2024, joined forces with Mr Britton as retail director of the store.
Commenting on the milestone, Mr Jones says: ‘Our team’s experience and dedication are what makes Specsavers Haverfordwest so special. Reaching 100 years of individual long service milestones in 2025 is something we’re incredibly proud of. It’s a real testament to the commitment of our colleagues, and we look forward to many more successful years ahead.’
To mark the occasion, the directors hosted an in-store awards ceremony, presenting certificates and bottles of champagne to the nine long-serving team members celebrating.
Specsavers Haverfordwest is open seven days a week. To find out more information about Specsavers in Haverfordwest, request an appointment or browse the online store, visit https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/haverfordwest.
Additionally, to make eye health accessible to all, the store offers a Home Visits service for those unable to leave their homes unaccompanied due to disability or illness.
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