Plans are being made to increase the number of services being offered at the new Tenby Cottage Hospital.

Additional orthopaedic and ear, nose and throat clinics are already being held every week and lymphoedema and wound specialist services are also seeking clinic space at the new facility. The additional clinics have been made possible following the return of services being hosted at the Tenby hospital during the refurbishment of South Pembrokeshire Hospital, Health and Social Care Resource Centre.

Said acting chief executive Caroline Oakley: "Tenby Cottage Hospital is a much-needed facility providing access to local healthcare services close to the patient's home. Along with the newly- opened South Pembrokeshire facility, this Tenby Cottage Hospital is at the heart of our objective to provide better quality healthcare in the community and we are very pleased to announce the expansion of services to achieve this goal. We anticipate that this trend will continue into the future as further investment is made in modernising our services and improving healthcare locally."

The £4.1million facility, funded by Welsh Assembly Government, has gone from strength to strength since its official opening in June of last year.

It now offers a wide range of local services, including a minor injury unit, open from 8 am to 10 pm daily, a wide range of outpatients clinics, physiotherapy and occupational therapy services, dental services, speech and language therapy, dietician, family planning, X-ray services, plus a base for Macmillan Nurses and district nursing team.

Weekly clinics include orthopaedics, podiatry, palliative care, audiology, family planning, gynaecology, anti-natal and midwife clinics, diabetic retinopathy and ear, nose and throat clinics. These are supplemented by additional services in paediatrics, physiotherapy, surgical and medical clinics, incontinence support, an eye clinic, a pain specialist nurse and accident and emergency follow-up clinics.

There is also a 15 place day care centre, a rehabilitation centre and a social services home care team based at the new facility enabling integrated health and social care to be provided close to the patient's home.

Said Mrs Oakley: "The challenge in Pembrokeshire is to make sure that people have access to the best quality services, wherever possible, close to their homes."

Meanwhile, Pembrokeshire County Council has served notice on the Trust to demolish the former Tenby Cottage Hospital building which is considered functionally and economically obsolete. It is hoped that this work will begin in May and that eventually the site will be redeveloped.