Sir,

I have to respond to the letter from Ivor Jenkins, of Poynton, Cheshire, in last week's Observer, when he protests that 'no fully discussed and agreed business plan (sic for a new hospital) has been circulated'.

If people wish to know the facts, they must approach the people who know them, i.e. the NHS Trust (Pembrokeshire and Derwen).

On behalf of the Tenby and Saundersfoot branch of the Labour Party, I wrote to the Trust to ask some pertinent questions and received a detailed and courteous reply. I obtained the names of all the Trust Board members (for lobbying purposes) and all can be contacted via Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest.

The Trust chief executive informed me that the £8m. allocation by the National Assembly for Wales has to provide two separate developments, one in Tenby and the other in Pembroke Dock.

The extensive documentation I received can be summarised thus:

A Strategic Context Document was prepared giving the background to the development of community services in Pembrokeshire, which then led to an Outline Business Case.

The Outline Business Case was submitted to the Assembly last October and the Trust was advised to submit a Full Business Case in respect of two of the five options which they had outlined in the OBC.

The options now under consideration are as follows:

a) A comprehensive new build, single site facility to include all present activity and to introduce integrated day therapy and care services (capital cost £3.857m., total recurring cost £1.160m.).

b) In-patient beds purchased from the independent sector and locating all ambulatory services, e.g. Minor Injuries Unit and Outpatients and X-Ray, in a new build provision within Tenby town (capital cost £1.777m., total recurring cost £0.817m.).

But it is not a simple decision of 'best and dearest' against 'cheapest'. Many factors of need, affordability, equality of provision across the county, population demographics and, very importantly, availability of qualified staff, have to be taken into account. The Trust has a duty of care to all 115,000 people living in Pembrokeshire.

Of course we in Tenby want a new-build hospital with in-patient beds. Anything less would hardly be seen as an 'improvement' in facilities. We all know of people from Tenby who are at this moment 'waiting for a place in the Cottage Hospital', but let us get the whole picture before we start pouring scorn onto people who are doing a very difficult job.

Photo opportunities and 'knocking' other people may be politically clever, but it doesn't solve problems.

I have written to Jane Hutt to press for reprovisioning Tenby with a new build, single facility to include all present activity and integrated day therapy etc. on behalf of the LP members here. I know Nick Ainger MP and Christine Gwyther AM have been lobbying for this. If just 500 Tenby people wrote to Ms. Hutt expressing the same view, it might make a difference.

Tenby is a special case; it 'grows' enormously in the season with all the attendant health demands that implies; the South Pembs. Hospital in Pembroke Dock is not under threat of losing anything; and it and Withybush Hospital are too far away from Tenby. When the Government in Westminster and the Assembly in Cardiff are desperately trying to reduce road traffic, where is the sense in centralising health services which causes thousands of people having to travel more and further?

The situation is urgent. The FBC is before Jane Hutt now. The lease for the hospital expires in March 2003, so something has to happen soon.

Mollie Neate,

Chair,

Tenby and

Saundersfoot branch

Labour Party.