ROUGHLY 300 people attended a protest on Wednesday (Feb 23) outside Withybush General Hospital.
The ‘Save Withybush’ campaign aims to save the hospital and its A&E department from closure.
In new plans by Hywel Dda University Health Board, Withybush would be ‘repurposed’ into a community hospital with a 24/7 urgent care centre led by GPs that would only be capable of dealing with minor injuries, such as: upper body injuries, infections, head injuries, illnesses, animal or insect bites, some broken bones, minor burns and eye injuries.
They’re hoping for £1.3 billion in funding to “fundamentally improve the way in which health and care services are provided”.
If the plans are approved, the A&E units at Withybush General Hospital and Carmarthen’s Glangwili Hospital could close.
Locals are concerned that the additional travel time to other hospitals could be the difference between life and death.
One of the protesters, Moira Lewis, has said: “We are so far away from other hospitals.
“It’s 44 miles from Goodwick to Carmarthen, and ambulances don’t turn up as quickly as they could.
“This will all add to the pressure. At the end of the day, somebody could die before they arrive.”
Jaqueline Doig, of ‘Save Withybush’, a group who have also created a petition to get the ‘repurposing’ discussed in The Senedd, said: “Moving care out of county puts adults & children at risk of poor outcomes or even death. It wastes crucial time, when time is not on our side.”
“[Hywel Dda University Health Board] may infer that the “Golden Hour” is no longer relevant, with better equipped ambulances & higher trained staff, but that is dependent on an ambulance being available to help & give that immediate care.
“That is increasingly not the case, as ambulances fail to attend, as they are being sent out of county, unable to offload and unable to return to county, to give the help needed.”
“We have lost faith & trust in HDUHB and do not believe that they are working in the best interests of Pembrokeshire.”
Steve Moore, the health board chief executive, says that a new hospital is vital.
“We are stretched very thin at the moment, and that means we struggle with staffing,” he said.
“Quite often, people struggle with waiting times.
“While they may be able to get to the hospital front door, it can be a real challenge for our staff to see them in a reasonable timescale, and that creates a poor service for the public.
“Building a new hospital will allow us to do much better at that.”
