LITTLE INTEREST

There has been little community interest in the proposed closure of a weekly branch surgery in Maenclochog, members of Pembrokeshire Community Health Council heard recently, even though the north county village had been categorised as an Objective 1 area, partly because of its lack of adequate health and associated facilities. The Community Health Council only received one objection to the GPs request to close the branch surgery doors, and consequently decided not to object to the loss of the service.

SATISFIED

The county's health watchdog, Pembrokeshire Community Health Council, has said it was satisfied with the level of pharmacy services provided in Pembrokeshire during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, this following the additional arrangements that were put in place by the LHB following the earlier CHC concerns.

STILL NO MANAGER

The SHAPES Loan Store at Neyland is still without a permanent manager. The facility is jointly run by Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust, and provides equipment to enable people to live independently in their own home. Pembrokeshire Community Health Council has a representative involved in monitoring the service. In response to a query from the Community Health Council, the Trust said they had hoped to redeploy a member of staff to run the store, but have now said that they will advertise the post externally, in the near future.

RUMOURS DENIED

Withybush Hospital's £6 million new Accident and Emergency Unit is slightly behind schedule at the planning stage, but there is no intention to abandon the project, members of Pembrokeshire Community Health Council were assured recently. According to Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust, who are masterminding the scheme, there has been some slippage in the programme, but the Full Business Case will be presented to the trust board in April. The Trust's acting chief executive, Mary Hodgeon, told members of the Community Health Council that rumours that plans for the new A&E were in jeopardy were false. The delay was necessary to ensure that the new facility was 100 per cent right.

TRUST VACANCY

Trust health care services in Pembrokeshire continue to be without a permanent chief executive, since former health boss Frank O'Sullivan stepped down due to ill health last year. Following a recruitment drive in the autumn, Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust did not make an appointment from the shortlisted candidates. When the county's health watchdog, Pembrokeshire Community Health Council met last month, members were told by the Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust chairman, Lynette George, that the Trust was talking about the vacancy with the Welsh Assembly, and would likely be advertising the post fairly soon.