THE SDEC unit at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen will reopen to patients and staff on Monday (Mar 30) following a major £2m refurbishment.

The upgrade, funded by the Welsh Government, has delivered additional consultation rooms, a redesigned reception area, and improved facilities aimed at enhancing the experience for both patients and staff.

Health board chiefs say the revamped unit is expected to ease pressure on the hospital’s Emergency Department and forms part of wider efforts to improve urgent care services across Hywel Dda University Health Board sites, including the Minor Injury Unit at Prince Philip Hospital.

Keith Jones, Director of Operational Planning and Performance at Hywel Dda, said: “We are very grateful to the Welsh Government for the £2.096 million investment, which has allowed us to increase capacity within the SDEC unit at Glangwili.

“We expect these improvements will help reduce pressure on the Emergency Department and enable our teams to deliver a smoother, faster experience for patients.”

During the works, several services were temporarily relocated to Y Lolfa, formerly Padarn Ward. These will now return to the SDEC building, including the Discharge Lounge, Medical Day Unit and the Primary Care Out of Hours Service.

Cancer support services, including the Cancer Information and Support Service (CISS) and Cancer Psychological Support Service (CaPS), will also move back to the unit.

Access routes for services that remained at the Priory Day Hospital during the refurbishment – including podiatry, neuro-rehabilitation and occupational therapy – will return to normal.

Patients are advised to follow on-site signage or ask staff for directions. The health board said appointment letters will include updated information, but urged patients to double-check details and contact departments directly if unsure.

Mr Jones added: “I would like to thank staff, patients and visitors for their patience during these works.”

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles said the investment would deliver “real improvements” for patients and staff.

He added: “This is part of our ongoing commitment to improving hospital facilities across Wales, ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, as quickly as possible.”

Home testing and vaccine catch-up plan launched as uptake falls after pandemic

PLANS to boost cervical cancer prevention across Wales have been set out by ministers, amid concerns that HPV vaccination rates have fallen since the pandemic.

In a written statement issued on Wednesday (Mar 25), Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said urgent work is underway to improve uptake of both vaccination and screening, which are key to preventing the disease.

The Welsh Government confirmed that before COVID-19, HPV vaccine uptake was close to the World Health Organisation’s 90% target — but levels have since dropped.

Health board vaccination teams have delivered more than 1,400 additional HPV vaccinations during 2025 as part of targeted efforts, particularly focusing on schools where uptake is lowest. Further catch-up programmes are planned over the next 12 months.

Public Health Wales has also launched surveys aimed at understanding why some young people and parents are not attending vaccination appointments, alongside a wider communications campaign highlighting the benefits of the vaccine.

Cervical screening, which detects high-risk strains of HPV, remains a key part of prevention efforts. However, participation varies across different groups.

A new initiative will see at-home cervical screening kits introduced later this year, aimed at women who rarely or never attend appointments. The move is designed to remove barriers to screening and improve access.

Latest figures show a gradual decline in cervical cancer cases and deaths in Wales. The number of cases has fallen from an average of 164 per year in the early 2000s to 149 in recent years, while annual deaths have dropped from 61 to 54.

Despite this progress, ministers say more must be done to improve early detection and treatment.

Cervical cancer is currently grouped within wider gynaecological cancers for NHS treatment targets, but plans are in place to report more detailed data by April 2027 to better track treatment times.

Jeremy Miles urged those eligible to take up both vaccination and screening offers, adding that improving access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment would be key to reducing cancer rates further in the years ahead.

A HEATED exchange in the Senedd has laid bare growing tensions over the future of hospital services in west Wales.

During the final First Minister’s Questions session, Paul Davies MS challenged First Minister Eluned Morgan to intervene and stop Hywel Dda University Health Board from removing services from local hospitals.

Mr Davies told the Senedd: “Residents across west Wales are understandably upset and angry at these decisions to strip services from their local hospitals.

“They want the Welsh Government to stand up for them and stop the health board from removing those vital services.”

He said he had repeatedly called on ministers to act, adding: “I have asked you time and time again to work with me and stand up for the people of west Wales… will you now intervene and stop the health board removing services from west Wales, yes or no?”

First Minister rejects intervention

In response, the First Minister acknowledged public concern but refused to commit to direct intervention.

Eluned Morgan said: “I recognise that communities are very upset about the situation. I understand that people are committed to their local services.

“These services are deeply valued and they’ve got to remain safe. They’ve got to be sustainable. They’ve got to be deliverable.”

She stressed that decisions must be based on clinical advice, adding: “This has got to be a decision that is clinically led and really thinks about the objectives that it’s trying to achieve to get people better.”

Accusations of ‘spin’

The First Minister also accused Mr Davies of misrepresenting proposals around Withybush Hospital.

She said: “What about the spin that you put up… to say that emergency departments in Withybush were actually going to close?”

She pointed to planned improvements, including expanded orthopaedics, increased cancer care, seven-day diagnostics, and enhanced same-day emergency care.

“You fail to mention this every time you talk, Paul,” she added.

Ms Morgan then challenged the Conservative MS directly, asking: “Do you agree that we should have a brand new hospital in west Wales? Yes or no?”

Key election issue

The exchange underlines how healthcare in west Wales — and particularly the future of services at Withybush Hospital — is becoming a key battleground ahead of the upcoming Senedd election.

Concerns over service changes, travel times, and hospital capacity have been repeatedly raised by campaigners and politicians across the region.