Pembrokeshire people, concerned about proposed changes to downgrade Withybush Hospital to a community hospital and the resultant loss of an A&E department in Pembrokeshire are mobilising to let the powers-that-be know how they feel.

The business case approved by Hywel Dda Health Board last Thursday, January 27, states that "consolidating services" such as A&E, emergency surgery and trauma, onto fewer sites "will improve standards, service resilience and a shift towards 24-hour, 7-day models of care".

It proposes ‘repurposing’ Withybush into a community hospital which would have a 24/7 GP-led urgent care centre.

This urgent care centre would deal with minor injuries such as sprains and strains, wound infections, some broken bones, upper body injuries and insect and animal bites and minor burns, head injuries, illnesses and eye injuries.

More serious injuries would be dealt with at a newly built urgent and planned care hospital, to be built on a site between Narberth and St Clears, which will be home to a trauma unit and emergency department.

The health board has said it will undertake "further work with our clinical and other staff, partners and the public to engage on what our service pathways look like".

The Save Withybush Facebook group has had a huge influx of new members since the plans were revealed, and mass action is being organised.

“Pembrokeshire is being badly and dangerously let down with healthcare provision,” said the group’s Jacqueline Doig.

“How can an entire county be left without A&E (emergency care) provision and a general hospital? Surely that is unthinkable for an entire population to be so wrongly and dangerously treated?”

She added that as a county we have gas plants, refineries, ferry ports, a firing range, farming and host many extreme sports.

“It is a rural area with a widespread and isolated population, bad road links and poor public transport provision. The population of 125,000 can easily be boosted by approximately four million tourists,” she said.

“Centralisation can work in an urban environment, with greater number of hospitals in given area, but not so in rural areas.

Campaigners are planning a rally and protest outside the hospital on Wednesday, February 23.

The family rally; ‘Save Withybush A&E and Stop the Downgrade’ will take place from 11am to 1pm in the Wednesday of half term week. Children are welcome and protestors are asked to make and bring placards and banners.

The rally will be non-political and is designed to support the hospital, not to disrupt the work of the staff.

The group is also planning a Send Some Love Day on February 14. Pembrokeshire people are being urged to bombard the health board and politicians with thousands of emails and letters with their experiences both at the hospital and of accessing services that have already been removed from Withybush and their concerns about the proposed plans.

More details of the rally and a list of email and postal addresses to contact for the Send Some Love event is available on the Save Withybush Facebook page.

Jacqueline said that the removal of services from Withybush already, coupled with ambulance wait times, were causing Pembrokeshire people to fear for their safety.

“Pembrokeshire people genuinely fear the death of their loved ones and people have moved away because of it,” she said.

“Pembrokeshire people have been campaigning to save services and their hospital for years, but they are not listened to- why? Why should Pembrokeshire be treated so shabbily?”