Local Senedd Members have warned that any decision which undermines the future of A&E services at Withybush Hospital would be “wholly unacceptable”, ahead of a crucial Hywel Dda University Health Board meeting in February.

Pembrokeshire Preseli MS, Paul Davies, joined by fellow Welsh Conservative Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz who represents Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, said Withybush Hospital must be protected as a vital lifeline for Pembrokeshire, and that communities are deeply concerned about the potential consequences of the Health Board’s proposals.

Hywel Dda University Health Board will hold an Extraordinary Board meeting on February 18 and 19 to consider the future model for nine services included in its Clinical Services Plan.

The services under review include critical care, dermatology, emergency general surgery, endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, stroke, radiology and urology. The Health Board has said the services are “fragile”, citing workforce pressures, recruitment difficulties, ageing hospital estates and the need to meet new clinical standards.

More than 4,000 people took part in the recent consultation through questionnaires, public events, staff meetings and stakeholder sessions.

However, serious concerns remain locally that the proposals could lead to further downgrading of services at Withybush Hospital, which has already lost a number of key services in recent years.

Mr Davies said: “People in Pembrokeshire are deeply worried about what these proposals could mean for Withybush Hospital. Over many years, we have seen a gradual erosion of services, and communities are understandably anxious that this process will continue.

“Withybush Hospital is not a ‘nice to have’ — it is a vital lifeline for a large, rural population. Any changes must strengthen services in Pembrokeshire, not weaken them. I will not support decisions that place patients at greater risk or force them to travel unreasonable distances for essential care.

“It is only the Welsh Conservatives who have consistently stood up for Withybush. Let’s not forget that Welsh Labour figures Eluned Morgan and Mark Drakeford, both former Health Ministers, allowed this situation to develop on their watch.”

Mr Kurtz remarked: “People in Pembrokeshire have heard this story before. Time and again, we are told services are fragile, and the result is that Withybush loses out.

“The loss of SCBU, consultant-led maternity and children’s A&E is still deeply felt locally. The removal of one service often makes others unviable, and that is exactly what people are worried about now.

“Any decision that threatens the long-term viability of A&E at Withybush Hospital is a red line. It would be wholly unacceptable and would be met with fierce opposition from the community.”

Mr Kurtz also stressed that rurality, transport challenges and ambulance pressures must be central to decision-making, not treated as secondary considerations.

“Pembrokeshire is a rural county. Asking patients to travel further for emergency or urgent care is not a theoretical issue — it affects safety, outcomes, families and staff,” he continued.

“There is also deep frustration that these decisions continue to be made in the shadow of the so-called ‘super hospital’ elsewhere in west Wales, which has never come to fruition. Pembrokeshire cannot be left with a slow erosion of services while waiting for something that may not materialise for a decade or more.”

The Senedd Members have confirmed that they have written to both Hywel Dda University Health Board and the Welsh Government ahead of the February meeting.

Mr Davies added: “We will be watching the outcome of this meeting very closely. Withybush Hospital is vital to Pembrokeshire and it must be properly supported — not hollowed out.”