Chairman of the Campaign for Action on Tenby Cottage Hospital, Clr. Michael Williams, is demanding answers about the effects huge financial cuts faced by the county's health services will have on Tenby's proposed new hospital.
At a the meeting of the Pembrokeshire Local Health Board last Wednesday, it emerged that the budget for health services in Pembrokeshire will be slashed by £10.698 million between now and 2005.
"What was even more alarming is that these proposed cuts were accepted with only one slightly dissenting voice," Clr. Williams told the Observer afterwards.
"Dr. Peter Jackson did express concern that this revenue cash 'would be taken out of the system; there are not sufficient recourses, we need to keep pressure on the Assembly.'
Clr. Williams was particularly concerned about the implications for Tenby's new hospital.
"For us, of course, there are real concerns, as on page 12 of a document entitled 'Cost reduction opportunities through service reduction' identified areas for scrutiny include the reconsideration of proposed developments at, amongst others, Tenby," he said.
"Also, they are to look at community hospital provision," he continued.
"The question now is how does this proposal square with the commitment given to us by the health minister that money for Tenby's new health facility was ring fenced, when we have the Local Health Board looking for savings on planned developments such as Tenby?" he asked.
"It is a sad indictment of health care that within 12 months of being set up, the new Health Board, which itself cost near on a million pounds to set up, has to look for such colossal savings.
"Has anyone in the health provision sector ever heard of joined up thinking?" he concluded.