A town councillor has backed a former Mayor of Tenby, who has suggested that a referendum should be held calling for the reinstatement of the MIU at Tenby Cottage Hospital.

Speaking at Tuesday night's meeting of Tenby Town Council, Clr. Mrs. Caroline Thomas, who is also secretary of the South East Pembrokeshire Community Health Network (SEPCHN), said that she agreed with comments made by past Mayor John Griffiths in a letter published in the Observer last week, about his thoughts on the 'triage and treat' service provided for the area this summer by the Hywel Dda University Health Board in place of the MIU.

"His suggestion that we consider following the path taken by the people of Flint to hold a referendum calling for the reinstatement of the MIU in Tenby has caused a great deal of interest," she told her fellow members.

"If we do feel it a viable idea, as the MIU served all the people of South East Pembrokeshire, we would have to ask the other community councils and their county councillors if they have any interest in pursuing this idea," added Clr. Mrs. Thomas.

Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown said she totally agreed and that it was important to try and do something still.

"It's important that we show our colours and say that we really want something there that's not there now.

"I note that the Welsh Audit Office have criticised the NHS in Wales this week on the state of their finances, stating that it's costing more to move services from areas such as the Tenby facility than it would be to keep them," she remarked.

Clr. Mrs. Thomas said that as such a referendum could be expensive and not actually be legally binding, the town council would need definitive proof in the community and from other councils that people wanted to move forward with the idea.

"Under the terms of the local government act, a town and community council could call a 'community poll' with costs met by that council, but it seems that each individual council would have to call for such a poll," explained the town clerk, Mr. Andrew Davies, who said that he had been in touch with Pembrokeshire's electoral services manager, Glynne Morgan.

"Mr. Morgan said he had never dealt with a community poll in the area, so wasn't sure what the cost incurred would be," he continued.

Clr. Mrs. Thomas asked if other town and community councils in the area of South East Pembrokeshire could be contacted on the matter.

She also told members that the item would be on the agenda of the next meeting hosted by SEPCHN, which would be held at New Hedges Village Hall, on Tuesday, October 28, at 2 pm.