Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones has pledged to help 'ratchet up the pressure' to provide Tenby with a new-build hospital to replace the town's aging Cottage Hospital.
The leader of the opposition in the National Assembly met with members of CATCH (the Campaign for Action on Tenby Cottage Hospital), Tenby town councillors and representatives of other local organisations on Wednesday, along with fellow Plaid Cymru AMs Cynog Dafis and shadow health spokesman Dr. Dai Lloyd.
The meeting had been called by chairman of CATCH, Clr. Michael Williams.
"The Health Trust is about to release an analysis of its costings for various options for the area to Health Minister Jane Hutt," he explained.
"I have invited Mr. Wyn Jones and colleagues here to see how we can ratchet up the pressure and carry the fight for a new hospital for the area forward.
"It is five-and-a-half years since it was announced that the Cottage Hospital was to be closed, yet there is still no resolution to the issue.
"If Health and Safety went in there tomorrow they would shut it down," he claimed. "It is totally unjustified that south Pembrokeshire services should be allowed to get into this state.
"There is only one ambulance on duty between midnight and 8 am and our GPs are under pressure.
"The NHS Trust have carried out three surveys on health needs in the south-east of the county and all have concluded that a new hospital is needed, if only to serve the summer population of the area."
Mr. Wyn Jones agreed that the summer population of the area was "an excellent reason alone why there should be a new hospital."
The Plaid leader explained that the decision would not be taken by a committee in the Assembly, but by Jane Hutt herself, based on advice from her advisors.
"As such, it will be our role to put as much pressure on her to ensure she arrives at the proper decision for the area!" he smiled.
"The Trust's proposal will come with a range of options, and the minister will decide the case, but I think all around this table agree that the only proper option is a new-build facility," he continued.
Mr. Wyn Jones explained the two possible funding avenues for a new-build facility, either through public funding or a private finance initiative (PFI), although he felt that because of the size of a new-build facility, PFI would be unlikely in this case.
"What we need to do is to build up support for a new-build facility," he stressed. "When we know that Jane Hutt has received the Trust's proposals, then we can exert greater pressure to make her aware of the public's view. In addition to all the efforts made by CATCH, it would not hurt if private individuals also wrote to make their views known."
Chairman of the League of Friends of Tenby Cottage Hospital, Mrs. Pat Wright, wondered if Jane Hutt would now meet with CATCH.
"We have made several requests for a meeting and so has our local AM Christine Gwyther, but she refuses," Mrs. Wright claimed.
"She says she does not want to be biased before making her decision, but she has already met with the Health Trust, the Health Authority and the Community Health Trust."
Cynog Dafis felt that that Ms. Hutt had "no reason not to talk to CATCH," while Mr. Wyn Jones agreed that "under the democratic process, people have the right to have their voice heard."
Mr. Ken Prosser, of Tenby Civic Society, noted that it was Government policy to support community hospitals.
"Tenby Cottage Hospital was established in the Victorian era through voluntary subscription. If what is proposed goes through, Tenby will have less facilities than it did when the NHS came into being in 1948, which is totally unacceptable," he said. "There is an essential need for this facility."
While agreeing that the Government supported community hospitals, Mr. Wyn Jones pointed out that the request for new-build had to come from the Health Authority.
"Unless the Health Authority favours one, the Government can't suggest one," he said. "It is up to local pressure to get the Health Authority to support a hospital.
"The problem here appears to be that there is no backing for a new hospital from a statutory body responsible for health in this area. The fact that the Trust have even agreed to reconsider options after being so negative is an achievement in itself, but there is still a long way to go," he added.
Mr. Dafis felt that the Trust did not want to go for a new-build hospital, but "do not want to come out in the open and say so.
"It's as if they want to string things out so the Cottage Hospital has to close by default because of its condition," he claimed.
Mr. Wyn Jones commented that, although the Trust were submitting their proposals, there was no guarantee that a new-build would be top of their list of priorities.
"It would also be difficult for the Health Minister to justify to the auditors going for a more expensive option like a new hospital, if the Trust favoured a cheaper one," added Mr. Dafis. "What we need to do is ensure that new-build is top of the list and then press the case based on the history of statements from the consultations that there is a need for a new hospital."
"The local GPs have also stated that they could not cope if the hospital closed," added Mr. Roy Haggar, of the League of Friends.
Clr. Mrs. Carol Cavill wondered if the case would be strengthened if an area of land for new-build was identified in the JUDP for Pembrokeshire and she and Clr. Williams agreed to press this point at county council level.
"For the first time ever in Tenby, I think there is total unanimity on as issue," smiled Clr. Williams. "
Mrs. Wright agreed. "The people are behind CATCH as a mass," she said. "We want a new hospital."
Fellow CATCH member and town councillor, Mrs. Caroline Thomas agreed.
"And let's not forget, that this would not only be a hospital for Tenby, but the whole of the south-east coastal area from Manorbier to Amroth, a vast area which seemed to be neglected by the Trust," she said.
Mr. Wyn Jones said that he would table a question in the Assembly to see if the proposals had gone in and he would keep up the pressure on Ms. Hutt to meet with CATCH.
"Be assured, I will take this up at the Assembly and run with it," he stressed.
FOOTNOTE:" On his visit to Tenby, the Observer asked First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, why the health minister, Jane Hutt, appeared reluctant to talk to CATCH.
"This is a business case issue," he said. "When the options are before the minister, that will be the time she will want to hear from other groups like CATCH."
However, the First Minister added that he was aware that Jane Hutt had spoken to Christine Gwyther on the issue very recently.