Sir,

So, the decision by the Pembrokeshire Local Health Board has been made. Tenby does not need and will not get in-patient beds in their new health facility!

Despite the 2,500 households who used our AM's petition to confirm that beds are needed; despite the seven-year long campaign; despite the £93,000 that the local community have given to the present Cottage Hospital over the last 10 years to show its support, the new four-month-old Board has rejected the wishes of Tenby and district residents and have sent their preference for 'a new build, single site facility, to include integrated day therapy and care services with social services, outpatients, x-ray and minor injury unit, with in-patient beds purchased as one block from the independent sector' to the Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust and then it will go to the Welsh Assembly for approval.

Those of us who have watched the new Board's work closely over the past months, were represented at the meeting on July 30 and given a once-and-for-all opportunity to speak in support of the provision of beds. This was done superbly by our AM, Christine Gwyther, our Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Caroline Thomas, the leading campaigner of Friends of the Hospital, Mrs. Pat Wright, and the Miniser of St. Johns Church, Mrs. Nanette Lewis-Head. The Board listened politely. It made no difference.

A member of the old Dyfed Health Board - who comes from St. Davids - was then allowed to speak against us, the Board talked amongst themselves for a very shortwhile - many of the questions being used to endorse the Board's own line of thinking, and then all 27 members of the Board - not one of whom lives in Tenby - nodded through the Board's preference as stated above.

The Board used seven criteria to judge the rightness of its choice. In every case, option 2A which would have allowed 'a new build single-site facility to include all present activity and to introduce integrated day therapy and care services' came out as the preferred option to give the people of Tenby the very best source of health provision. But when finance was taken into account, the Board decided it outweighed every other criteria.

And this for the sake of approx. £1.5 million in capital costs and approx. £200,000 running cost each year.

The Welsh Assembly Government gave the Pembs. LHB £105 million to spend this year. It set aside £8 million for capital expenditure in southern Pembrokeshire. The South Pembs. Hospital is to get £4.6 million to upgrade its services, whilst Tenby is given £3.3 million for a completely new build!

The cost of running the new Pembs. LHB is £1.1 million per annum!

Whilst the news is full of stories of private care homes closing, Mary Hodgeon, associate member of this Board and an employee of Pembs. and Derwen NHS Trust (they are all 'in bed together') assured the Board that it was 'easy' to find 10 beds in one independent care facility and 'easy' to find the staff. This week I spoke at length to Valerie Smith, the independent secretary and advisor to the Royal College of Nursing in London. She re-iterated the concern of the Royal College regarding the viability of independent sector homes because the State, either through the NHS or Social Services, does not pay the 'going rate' for beds, which is between £400 and £600 per patient per week.

Yet the idea of using private sector care is seen as 'preferable' to providing beds in the new build, by Pembrokeshire Local Health Board.

The old cottage hospital is 132 years old. Built in 1871 by generous benefactors in Tenby and vigorously supported and enhanced by continued generosity over those years, it is now in a parlous state. Maurice Hughes, leader of Pembs CC and a member of the LHB, admitted it will 'fall down soon if something isn't done'.

At last, there is to be a brand new building. But it is not going to be a hospital.

M. Neate,

'Top Croft,'

North Cliff,

Tenby.