At a recent meeting of the South East Pembrokeshire Community Health Network at New Hedges Village Hall, members were updated with regard to recent developments, including reports of letters to the Hywel Dda Health Board and the Health Minister, Professor Mark Drakeford and meetings attended, all in an attempt to keep up pressure for the retention of the MIU and to continue the fight against an injustice to our community.

The main message is that the decision as to the future of the unit is now back in the hands of the Community Health Council, whose executive committee would have to agree any new plans following discussions with the health board, as decreed by the Health Minister in his letter to us.

Tony Wales, chair of the CHC, stated that any proposal for the provision of an MIU service would have to conform to the current Hywel Dda LHB standards as provided by the team of specialist emergency nurse practitioners.

In the same way, any other new service providers who could be employed for weekend duties, would also have to conform to the same standards.

Mr. Wales stated that if the criteria were not met by the Hywel Dda Health Board, then the CHC would argue strongly for the service to be retained in its current form and located at Tenby Cottage Hospital. SEPCHN will keep up pressure to ensure this occurrs.

As the local GPs have stated they do not support the HDHB proposals and have stated they will be deleterious to health provision in this area, where does this leave the HB plans for closure of the MIU? The obvious way forward is to retain and develop its services to include minor ailments. This would also help to relieve pressure on the A and Es at Withybush and Glangwili.

At a previous meeting organised by the town council, Mrs. Sue Lewis, Pembrokeshire director of the HDHB, stated that the health board would investigate the situation in a similar area with a tourist influx, namely Cornwall.

SEPCHN's own investigations have revealed many interesting facts. Whilst Cornwall has a somewhat larger population than the Hywel Dda area, it has a far smaller area and so the problems of rurality are not as great. Despite this, Cornwall has 13 MIUs, all of them open from 8 am until 10 pm throughout the year. Hywel Dda has four and plans to close two, one of them being Tenby. Some of these units are based in towns larger than Tenby, but also in smaller towns such as Fowey with just about half its population.

SEPCHN will attempt to find out from the HDHB what their investigations have revealed and they too will continue their own investigations.

The SEPCHN decided to write to AMs asking them to enquire of the health board where their plans now stand in the light of GP statements and to investigate further the effective planning and management of MIUs in Cornwall.

If you support the retention of the Tenby Cottage Hospital MIU, why not write to the chief executive of the Hywel Dda Health Board, Merlins Court, Winch Lane, Haverfordwest, asking him to explain the plans for MIU services in South East Pembrokeshire as the GPs do not accept its current plans.