Members of Tenby Town Council have said that they will continue to fight for local services in light of the decision by the local health board to close Tenby's Minor Injury Unit.

Following a meeting on Monday night where Tenby councillors met with members of other community councils in the area to develop a plan of action to fight against the proposals, councillors again discussed the matter on Tuesday night, when they met with chairman of Hywel Dda Community Health Council (CHC), Tony Wales.

Last week, the Hywel Dda Health Board held an extraordinary meeting and passed recommendations for a shake-up of health services in the region, including the decision to close the Minor Injury Units provided at Tenby Cottage Hospital and the South Pembrokeshire facility in Pembroke Dock.

Mr. Wales told councillors that the CHC were still deciding how to take the matter forward and whether to take the decision to the next level and refer the decision to the Health Minister.

"We've kept the power of referral in reserve at the moment, but we know that the clock has been ticking since the Health Board's extraordinary meeting last Tuesday," he said.

"Our argument would be that the Health Board has a very good facility here in Tenby, so why aren't they using it? All the evidence to me points to the direction that it's all to do with finance, but we'd argue that it could cost a lot more for the Board to deliver what they are proposing and that they may not end up any better off.

"There's a high level of concern in the area and local parties, organisations and community councils certainly have to work together to put pressure on the Health Board too.

"We need to remember whose NHS it is, it's yours and people are not going to stand and let this happen, so people power has a big part to play.

"Can the Health Board afford to implement what they intend to do? It would be interesting to know exactly how much they plan to save, so we are seeking definitive answers on this, as at the moment a lot of issues are surrounded in mist," continued Mr. Wales.

Clr. Mike Evans said that the Health Board had got the call hugely wrong and that his primary concerns were the likes of elderly residents and non-car owners who would be left stranded without any cover by the closure.

"This is a vital resource centre to the South East of Pembrokeshire, and let's hope that the demonstration in support of the MIU and against it's closure will see a good turnout," he commented, with Deputy Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Caroline Thomas, adding that as well as the planned demonstration outside the hospital tomorrow (Saturday) at 12 noon, she had also recommended to community councils in the area that they submit their own individual petitions to campaign against the closures.

Clr. Lawrence Blackhall also said that it would be beneficial to contact the Health Board now to invite them into discussions about the future of the Tenby Cottage Hospital and how they can work together in achieving that the facility becomes a resource centre for the south-east of the county.

Also commenting on the Health Board's proposals, Mayor of Pembroke Dock, Clr. Peter Kraus said that he thought it was "absolutely disgusting" what they were intending doing.

"Why don't they just listen for one moment to what the public have to say and realise that they are the ones who know what works and what doesn't," he remarked.