Residents of Tenby and its surrounding area have been urged to make their voices heard once again ahead of consultations on the transformation of the health service.

Chair of the South East Pembrokeshire Community Health Network (SEPCHN), Jon Preston, thanked the large number of people who attended a meeting held at New Hedges Village Hall last month and welcomed Mid and West AM Simon Thomas to discuss the proposed changes to hospital services.

Mr. Thomas began the discussion on the transformation of the health service, explaining that, although he wasn’t in a position to answer questions, he could take comments back to the Welsh Assembly.

Those at the meeting heard how the next consultation was set to start on March 5 and wuld last for eight weeks.

It was expected that questions would be raised around removing one of the four hospitals that the Hywel Dda University Health Board manages.

As the Health Board was already £74 million in deficit, any major changes would have to be met by the Assembly.

Questions raised, included - would it be better to keep repairing and renovating or to rebuild? Would a new, bigger hospital, built in the centre of the old Dyfed, attract more doctors to train and stay?

It was discussed that a new-build would take a long time to complete, possibly 10 years, and would possibly cost £700m, and that if it were to happen, plans would have to be in place for the present services to stay in place.

Nothing had yet been decided, so taking part in the consultation was vital, the meeting heard.

The minutes of the last meeting were read out and this led to a discussion on the leaked report on the proposed transformation of health services, and the difficulty of recruiting doctors to this area.

Ceri Griffiths and Yvonne Williams, of the Pembrokeshire branch of the Hywel Dda University Health Board, who were also welcomed to the meeting, gave an update on the services provided at the Tenby Cottage Hospital and the facility’s walk-in centre.

The walk-in centre was fully staffed and had received positive feedback. About 3,000 patients had been treated since the service began, with the majority being local. There would be a formal evaluation in September on the service, which would be open over the Easter weekend, but no decision had yet been made about a summer weekend service.

The two representatives were unable to answer questions about NHS dentistry or about the cost effectiveness of people being sent to Bristol by coach to have cataract operations there.

Regarding questions about the lack of a sexual health clinic in Tenby, they said they would like to be able to provide it at the walk-in centre, if only they could make sure that correct protocols were put in place.

They were able to report that many new clinics had started in the Tenby Cottage Hospital with a ‘well persons clinic’ due to open on Saturdays in a few months time.

Former SEPCHN chair, Mansel Thomas, welcomed the fact that there were more clinics taking place and that the closer integration of health and social care was also taking place.

The question of GPs surgeries was raised and why Saundersfoot worked so successfully when others in Pembrokeshire were failing.

At the end of the meeting, a request was made that a senior member of the Health Board attend the next meeting and, as Mr. Thomas had kindly attended, it was hoped that this would inspire other AMs from other political parties in the area to attend future meetings.

“I found it interesting to hear the views of local people about what they want from their hospital services,” Simon Thomas AM commented afterwards..

“Hywel Dda University Health Board is reviewing the future of hospital services within its boundaries with several options, including hospital closures.

“Our future hospital services have to recognise Wales has a rural/scattered population, rather than accepting a one size fits all urban model of healthcare which can be imposed on rural areas.

“The purpose of strengthening community health services should be to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, not to prevent necessary ones.

“We will still need hospitals for the foreseeable future,” he added.