You may recall that during 2018, we worked with Hywel Dda University Health Board to seek your views on proposals affecting the future of district general hospital services in the Hywel Dda area (Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire).

Following that consultation, Hywel Dda University Health Board made some key decisions that will affect the way people in Powys access hospital services in the Hywel Dda area in future. Specifically, they agreed in their consultation that:

• Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest will be re-purposed as community hospitals. Both will provide 24/7 GP-led urgent care centres. They will have facilities for day case procedures, as well as therapy and nurse-led beds for less critical needs and rehabilitation. Diagnostic support (x-ray, ultrasound etc.) will continue, as well as outpatient and other clinics. The more specialised services for urgent and planned care currently provided at Glangwili and Withybush hospitals will in future be provided at a new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital. It will provide specialist children, adult, and mental health services, and will function as the Trauma Unit and main Emergency Department in the Hywel Dda area.
• There will not be significant changes to services at Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth. It will continue to provide urgent, emergency, and planned care services including for communities in north west Powys. Those patients from Bronglais Hospital who are currently transferred to Glangwili Hospital for more specialist care will in future be transferred to the new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital.

Hywel Dda University Health Board is now seeking views on three potential sites for the new planned and urgent care hospital - two near Whitland and one near St Clears.

They do not have a preferred site and they have not bought any site or land for this development. Purchasing a site and delivering the new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital is subject to the Welsh Government funding, which is not yet confirmed, and if successful, would take several years to achieve. In the meantime, we want to ensure that you are kept informed about potential changes and how they may affect you in future, and to provide an opportunity for you to have your say.

During the consultation, they are seeking feedback from all members of the public – including people in Powys who access health services in the Hywel Dda area.

There will be a public drop-in event in Aberystwyth on 21 April and in Llandovery on 9 May.

You can find out more and have your say by 19 May on the Hywel Dda University Health Board’s website: https://hduhb.nhs.wales/new-hospital-site. This includes details of the consultation, information about public drop-in sessions, copies of the consultation documents in a range of formats, and details of how to share your views.