8. Will the First Minister make a statement on the delivery of health services in Pembrokeshire? OAQ(5)0640(FM)

My priority is to provide the people of Pembrokeshire with health services that deliver the best possible outcomes for patients.

I’m sure you’d agree with me, First Minister, that it’s important that emergency health services are located as close as possible to the population. A retired consultant from Withybush hospital has reviewed the number of mortalities among babies in Pembrokeshire, and the review shows that the situation has deteriorated since the maternity services were centralised in Glangwili hospital in Carmarthen. Given this review, is your Government willing to reconsider this issue and situation and consider reintroducing the special neonatal centre and ensure that paediatric services are available full time in Withybush?

Well, it would be very good if that consultant could give us those data so that we could study those data for accuracy. He hasn’t done so. That would be a great help. But we know that the royal college has said that the services in the Hywel Dda area are safe.

But the situation with overnight paediatric care is supposed to be temporary, where it’s been removed from Withybush. That’s not supposed to be the permanent position, so when will we see that overnight paediatric service put back in place?

We know that the health board will be going out to consultation before long with specialists in the area in order to secure sustainable services. But it’s true to say that this is temporary, and not permanent.