There are to be several changes to Withybush and Glangwili hospitals over the next few years, as Hywel Dda University Health Board is set to agree on a £1.3billion investment programme alongside Welsh Government.

The ambitious project is aiming "to improve health outcomes" across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire for "A Healthier Mid and West Wales," with the £1.3billion set to be spent across the next decade.

The ‘milestone’ proposal will be discussed at the health board’s board meeting, which will take place on Thursday, January 27.

Withybush and Glangwili hospitals are set to undergo several changes, with proposals in the plan for the two hospitals to be repurposed as community hospitals.

As said in the proposal, the two hospitals are set to focus on rehabilitation and less acute needs, with more specialist assessments taking place at a new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital.

The new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital is the main focus of the proposal, with the health board currently looking at sites to build the hospital between Narberth and St Clears.

It is hoped that a site for the Urgent and Planned Care Hospital site will be chosen in the summer.

The proposal said in the plan about Glangwili and Withybush: “Both hospitals present both refurbishment and new build options, with new-build options being dependent on creating space on site.”

According to the plan, services to be provided at Withybush and Glangwili include:

  • 24/7 GP-led urgent care centre
  • Therapy and nurse-led step up and step-down beds
  • Outpatient clinics and specialist ambulatory ‘hot’ clinics
  • Facilities for an identified range of day case procedures
  • Midwife-led units
  • Access to diagnostic support
  • Renal Dialysis and Chemotherapy

Meanwhile, further proposals in the plan include the improving and modernisation of Bronglais and Prince Philip Hospital, closer working between health and social care, and investment in community hubs across the three counties.

Steve Moore, chief executive of Hywel Dda UHB, said: “This is the first but important stage of producing a business case to Welsh Government to try to secure a scale of investment never seen before in this area of Wales.”