Pembrokeshire county councillor, Michael Williams, a long-time hospital campaigner, is calling for an immediate inquiry into the matter.

He told the Observer: "Staff at the Cottage Hospital were summoned to a meeting last week to be informed that following a board meeting the hospital was being considered for early closure.

"This despite assurances given that no closure would take place until after the replacement facilities, in particular the beds, were in place.

"What makes the situation worse for staff, is that they were informed after details of possible closure were published in the press. This is exactly what was done when the announcement of hospital closure was first made.

"It is a disgraceful way to treat staff who have been working with the threat of closure hanging over them for over 10 years.

"More worrying even than this, is the possibility that the new health facility, presently nearing completion, might well be mothballed due to the lack of revenue funds.

"Further there is considerable concern within the medical profession that GP services are under threat with a possible concentration of these services at Withybush.

"There should be an immediate inquiry into the way the Pembrokeshire Heath Trust has managed its finances. It looks very likely that frontline patient services are again going to suffer when the real need is to drastically reduce the level of upper management that currently exists.

"Do we need these Trusts and Boards which were set up at a cost of millions of pounds, and have singularly failed to provide the quality of health care that we have a right to expect?"

GRAVE CONCERN

Sir,

As chairman of the League of Friends of Tenby Cottage Hospital, and on behalf of the people of south-east Pembrokeshire, my committee and I are writing to express our grave concern with regard to the drastic cuts to the health provision proposed for this area. This includes the closure of the bed provision in Tenby Cottage Hospital, the reduction or maybe even the closure of the Minor Injuries Unit and a reduction in the level of services in the new facility at Butts Field.

We are told that this would save the Trust £300,000. We challenge this figure as they still have a commitment to the patients of Tenby.

Through your paper, I challenge the Pembrokeshire and Derwen National Health Trust to reveal to the people the full extent of their debts, well in excess of £11,000,000, and of the proposed devastation to health care provision planned for Pembrokeshire.

We live in a democracy and as such the public is entitled to be made aware of these reductions in our health provision. Questions need to be asked with regard to the whole management of the Trust, of their awareness of their responsibility to the people of Pembrokeshire, of their failure to honour their promise to retain all services until the new facility is up and running and finally how this massive deficit was accrued.

Pat Wright, Chairman, Friends of Tenby Cottage Hospital, Redberth.