Conservative Group Call To Fight Withybush Changes

An emergency call for Pembrokeshire’s council to take greater action in safeguarding the future of Withybush hospital is to be heard next week.

At the full council meeting of March 5, an emergency notice of motion by the council’s 11-strong Conservative Party group will demand that the Welsh Government immediately reverses the decision to cease emergency general surgery at Withybush Hospital.

Last year, Hywel Dda University Health Board consulted with its communities on options for change in critical care, dermatology, emergency general surgery, endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, stroke, radiology and urology.

It said its Clinical Services Plan focuses on nine healthcare services that are “fragile and in need of change”.

The proposed changes included an option for Withybush patients needing specialist critical care being transferred to Glangwili.

At a recent two-day meeting, the board, amongst its many other decisions, backed changes into emergency general surgery which will see no emergency general surgery operations taking place at Withybush, but a strengthening of the same-day emergency care (SDEC).

At the March council meeting, the Conservative council group, led by Cllr Di Clements, will say: “The Welsh Government has powers of intervention in Sections 26-28 of the NHS (Wales Act) 2006 which enables it to intervene in decisions made by a health board, in this case the Hywel Dda University Health Board.”

It says that Pembrokeshire residents “have seen continual downgrading of services over the years, and this has been detrimental to all residents,” adding: “We believe this recent decision is life threatening to those who need emergency surgery and a matter of resident’s safety.

“Every hour lost, on average, survival rates decrease by four per cent. Those who live furthest west and north will be affected the most.”

The group adds: “We are concerned especially that this has the huge potential to affect A&E provision. With limited opportunity for doctors to operate we are concerned that our county hospital will be left with few or no senior surgeons and A&E will be forced to close.”

The group has also questioned the accuracy of figures quoted by the First Minister Eluned Morgan on the number of affected patients, saying: “HDUHB own figures for the changes to emergency surgery put the number at nine per week, not five.”

The group has said it “acknowledges that Pembrokeshire County Council has no control over health services in the county, but the 60 county councillors represent approximately 120,000 people who at some point may need hospital services”.

Group leader Cllr Di Clements said: “I am certain the whole county will support our aim to prevent any more downgrading of services at Withybush.

“We are treated like second class citizens, and it is just not good enough.”

Cllr Clements’ motion reads: “This council requests that the Labour Welsh Government intervenes in Hywel Dda University Health Board’s recent decision to cease emergency general surgery at Withybush hospital and immediately reverses their decision.
“We believe removing this service critically undermines the sustainability of
Withybush hospital’s A&E department.

“Also, the decision by the Health Board does not take into account the impact and potential serious risks it will have on Pembrokeshire residents.”