A PETITION demanding immediate intervention on changes to emergency general surgery at Withybush hospital has attracted over 7,000 signatures and continues to gain support.

At a recent two-day meeting, Hywel Dda University Health Board, amongst many other decisions, backed changes into emergency general surgery which will see no emergency general surgery operations taking place at the Haverfordwest hospital, but a strengthening of the same-day emergency care (SDEC).

Since then, a petition to the Senedd has been created by Crymych resident Ajay Owen, entitled Urgent Pembrokeshire Healthcare & Resident Safety – Withybush Hospital & Health Board Intervention.

The petition, which runs until August 23, says: “We demand immediate government intervention to oversee the Health Board at Withybush Hospital and restore essential services to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Pembrokeshire residents. The residents, GPs, ambulance services and voluntary sectors do not need the strain or anxiety the health board is causing locally.

“As members of a community safety organisation and residents of Pembrokeshire, we are formally declaring that the current state of healthcare at Withybush Hospital is a threat to public safety.

“For too long, our services have been centralised, downgraded, or left in a state of uncertainty. This is no longer just an administrative issue; it is a safety crisis. Every minute added to an ambulance journey and every service removed from our local hospital increases the risk to life.

“We are calling on the First Minister and the Welsh Government to intervene directly, guarantee core services, equalise care standards and bring services back to Pembrokeshire.

“The people of Pembrokeshire deserve a healthcare system that provides security, not anxiety. The Welsh Government needs to implement the changes necessary to restore a safe, functional, and reliable service at Withybush Hospital immediately.”

All petitions with more 10,000 petitions are considered for a debate in the Senedd.