Think in human terms

My husband, who celebrated his 80th birthday this month, was in Withybush Hospital for a week in April. I found it quite a strain driving 20 miles each way to visit him every day. I contemplate with sheer horror the idea of having to go to Carmarthen, which is about 53 miles away, especially in the winter, as I avoid driving in the dark, because of eyesight problems.

To my mind they should put on hold any plans to remove services from Haverfordwest until we have a dual carriageway from Fishguard to St Clears. Anyone who has ever experienced the lunchtime ferry traffic from Fishguard pouring out of the harbour and travelling along the A40 towards Haverfordwest will appreciate that it must be a tremendous problem for an ambulance to travel either way in an emergency. Add on the extra 30-odd miles and it would be a nightmare.

There is the additional problem that Glangwili Hospital is already a very busy hospital. Friends tell me that they seem to be working at capacity and that parking is even more of a nightmare than Withybush.

So let's have a little humanity from the health board. Patients need a good chance of survival. Patients need the visits, care and attention of family and friends. Already there have been too many transfers of services. My husband, for instance, used to provide orthodontic treatment, under the excellent, now-retired consultant Simon James. Now those services are obtainable only from Swansea.

Disgraceful!

From Mrs Sally Williams Dinas Cross