Pembrokeshire Conservative Councillors will demand action at County Hall tomorrow - to safeguard the future of Withybush Hospital.

At a full Council meeting on Thursday, March 5, Pembrokeshire’s Welsh Conservative Councillors have tabled an emergency notice of motion for debate, calling on the Council to take greater action in safeguarding the future of Withybush Hospital.

The motion will demand that the Labour run Welsh Government immediately reverses the decision to cease emergency general surgery at Withybush Hospital.

The local Conservative council group will say that - “The Welsh Government has powers of intervention in Sections 26-28 of the NHS (Wales Act) 2006 which enables it to intervene in decisions made by a health board, in this case the Hywel Dda University Health Board.”

The group will make the case stating that Pembrokeshire residents - “have seen continual downgrading of services over the years, and this has been detrimental to all residents. We believe this recent decision is life threatening to those who need emergency surgery and a matter of resident's safety.”

“Every hour lost, on average, survival rates decrease by 4%. Those who live furthest West and North will be affected the most.”

Additionally, the group add - “We are concerned especially that this has the huge potential to affect A&E provision. With limited opportunity for doctors to operate we are concerned that our county hospital will be left with few or no senior surgeons and A&E will be forced to close.”

The group also hit back at the accuracy of the information provided by Pembrokeshire Labour’s First Minister Eluned Morgan, saying that they “question the First Minister's recent quotes on number of affected patients and we request further evidence. HDUHB own figures for the changes to emergency surgery put the number at 9 per week, not 5” as claimed.

The group acknowledges that Pembrokeshire County Council has no control over health services in the county, but the 60 county councillors represent approximately 120,000 people who at some point may need hospital services.

Cllr Di Clements, the Pembrokeshire Conservative Councillors leader said: “I am certain the whole County will support our aim to prevent any more downgrading of services at Withybush.

“We are treated like second class citizens and it is just not good enough.”