Health services in Pembrokeshire received a major boost this week with approval given by the Welsh Assembly to develop the Full Business Case for a state-of-the-art £6 million A&E department at Withybush Hospital. Pembrokeshire and Derwen Trust chief executive, Frank O'Sullivan, announced last October that an Outline Business Case had been submitted to the Assembly. On hearing that funding has now been granted, he said: "This is wonderful news. The new department has been one of the hospital's top priorities for a long time and we are delighted that we can now progress these proposals to provide a first-class service for the people of Pembrokeshire." The current department deals with 46,000 attendances every year, a figure projected to rise to 50,000. In drawing up its development plan, the trust has worked in partnership with other agencies, including the Pembrokeshire Local Health Board and GP out-of-hours service, the Welsh Ambulance Trust and the Social Services Department of the Pembrokeshire County Council. Dr. Charles Merrill, the trust's director of medical services, is in no doubt that the development will have a marked impact on the local service. He said: "Anyone who has been in the current department knows how inadequate the facilities are. This will give us the chance to ensure that the public has privacy, dignity and comfort when they come to the hospital. "The observation/assessment beds will make sure patients have a rapid and accurate assessment and that their needs are met, whether by admitting them or arranging alternatives. "The new building will permit us to work closely with primary care and other out-of-hours providers. Right now, a lot of what we do is also done in primary care. Having a 'one-stop' service will mean we can make sure the right thing is done for patients by the right people." Frank O'Sullvian added: "We will now be working on the detailed Full Business Case which is the final stage of the approval process ahead of commencing work on site. This development is crucial to our overall plans for modernising services and in securing continued investment in Withybush."