Sir,

In October 2002, the Welsh finance minister allocated £8 million for 'new health facilities in Tenby and South Pembrokeshire to replace those being provided at Tenby's aged Cottage Hospital.'

The then 'Outline Business Plan' was then currently in the hands of Jane Hutt awaiting her decision and there was a deadly silence.

In February, 2003, we were told that the delay was due to a demand from Jane Hutt that a further document be produced, the 'Strategic Business Case' that had been put before the Welsh Assembly in October, 2002. We were assured that the Labour Party members, the MP, the Assembly Member and Jane Hutt were of one mind - Tenby should have a new Cottage Hospital with beds.

We know the value of that statement - no beds in our hospital - the newer format of increased clinical facilities had shown to be more acceptable on economic grounds (or so we were told).

More to the point, all this work on the new site would go ahead post haste, the progress would be helped by local representation on a new Tenby Implementation Group. Alas that group looks like a puppet manipulated by the equally new Local Health Board and neither can even define the name 'Local'.

Would both committees tell us why the eventual £4 million was authorised. It is very obvious that no-one really knows. It appears that the original Cost Case (or one of them) must now be audited via some 'Achieving Excellence Design Evaluation Tool Kit', so that we can see the way ahead. So this a new-fangled version of Pandora's Box issued only to local intellectuals to bemuse the local peasants? Pandora's Box was issued by Zeus as a punishment and contained all the ills of mankind. When Pandora opened the box all that was left in it was hope.

Can we hope that this new box will be the one from which our Magician produces all our extra beds?

One further request to the Implementation Group. Under which set of rules can Health Authority capital be side-tracked to provide a Day Care Centre in place of the hospital beds. Tenby needs both the hospital and the Day Care Centre, but these are not one entity. The day Care Centres are the responsibility of the Social Services, provided by them, funded and financed by them from their funds. Read through your own report on 'Plans developed for Tenby's new health care facility' (Observer 23/04/04) and tell us where the funds are coming from for the day care?

Ivor Jenkins,

23 Dombey Road,

Poynton,

Cheshire.