Health chiefs have confirmed this week that there will be no loss of services to Tenby Hospital or South Pembrokeshire Hospital, Health and Social Care Resource Centre, despite fears that the axe could fall on vital medical cover. County Councillor Michael Williams was alarmed to discover that from next month, the out-of-ours GP support at both hospitals was to stop. "What on earth is happening to our health service?," he asked. "We appear to be sleep walking into a disaster." However, according to a spokeswoman for Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust, while there will be changes to the out-of hours care, the new developments are in fact part of planned and ongoing integration of services in preparation for the new integrated out-of-hours emergency care service, improvements in community care closer to home and the new £8.75m Accident and Emergency Department at Withybush Hospital. Said the spokeswoman: "They are designed to improve patient care so that they get the right care in the right place. "Patients will not experience any loss of service as a result of these changes and regular audits will be carried out to ensure a high standards of care are maintained." The developments surround out-of-hours medical cover for the Minor Injury Units in Tenby and South Pembrokeshire which provide care for patients with minor injuries who do not need to go to A&E, meaning they get appropriate care closer to home. "Under current arrangements, these units are staffed by nurses, with GPs providing day cover and Primary Care out of hours for weekends and evenings until 10 pm, after which patients may be taken to Withybush A&E Department," explained the NHS Trust spokeswoman. "Under the new proposals, this service will be provided by Minor Injury Unit nurses with comprehensive training who are competent to treat minor injuries, as happens in the majority of cases now. "Support will be provided by senior A&E doctors using new technologies and treatments such as telemedicine, electronically-transmitted x-rays taken at the Minor Injuries Units and telephone advice to ensure good patient care. "Withybush doctors will also provide out-of-hours support to inpatients at South Pembrokeshire Hospital Health and Social Care Resource Centre." The spokeswoman added: "Both Tenby and South Pembrokeshire Minor Injury Units will be strengthened by this direct contact with senior A&E doctors. If patients become acutely ill, they will be transferred to Withybush, as currently happens." Concluded the spokeswoman: "Discussions are still ongoing with GPs to agree an integrated way of providing medical support in community hospitals with closer working between GPs and hospital doctors."
