Hywel Dda University Health Board’s decision yesterday to downgrade emergency general surgery services at Pembrokeshire’s Withybush hospital has drawn strong criticism from local politicians. Last year, the health board consulted communities on proposed changes across critical care, dermatology, emergency general surgery, endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, stroke, radiology and urology services. The board stated its ‘Clinical Services Plan’ targets nine healthcare services considered “fragile and in need of change”. These nine clinical areas were identified due to concerns about their ability to continue delivering safe, high-quality care in a timely fashion, according to previous board statements. Among the proposed changes was an option to transfer Withybush patients requiring specialist critical care to Glangwili. R ead the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here. During a two-day meeting on February 18 and 19 examining the proposed changes, the board approved modifications to emergency general surgery provision, meaning emergency general surgery operations will no longer be performed at Withybush, though same-day emergency care (SDEC) will be enhanced. At the other three hospitals, emergency general surgery provision would remain unchanged, apart from strengthening SDEC at Glangwili. Ensure our latest news and sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. Board members emphasised the changes would be implemented gradually rather than immediately. Local MP Henry Tufnell responded to the decision, describing it as “another blow for access to healthcare in Pembrokeshire .” He added: “As your MP, I will continue to do everything in my power to fight for improvements to our essential services. I’ll be urging the Health Board to revisit this awful decision on emergency services.” Plaid Cymru’s candidate for the upcoming Senedd elections, Kerry Ferguson, called upon the Health Board to reverse its decision. “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.” Local Conservative politicians have also voiced their anger over the Withybush decision, as well as proposed changes to stroke service provision at Bronglais hospital in Aberystwyth , Ceredigion . Local Welsh Conservative Senedd Member Paul Davies MS said: “I’m appalled that Hywel Dda University Health Board has voted to remove general emergency surgery services from Withybush hospital – but I’m not surprised. “The Health Board is obsessed with removing services from Pembrokeshire and has spent years downgrading and removing services from Withybush hospital. 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 . “Removing general emergency surgery services critically undermines the sustainability of Withybush hospital’s A and 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.” Fellow Pembrokeshire Conservative Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz MS added: “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.”

Original source: gb