Hywel Dda University Health Board

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:29 pm on 11 March 2020.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:29, 11 March 2020

Well, this is a question about the delivery of the healthier west Wales plan. You'll recall the significant engagement that took place with both staff and the public, and then actual front-line members of staff presenting options to the health board for the future. And, within that, the community health council chose not to refer the possible options in. So, there is now an agreed strategy within west Wales about what that will mean. That will both be about—as we've seen the parliamentary review recommending in broad terms—some services needing to be concentrated to provide better services, better quality of care, and other services being delivered on a wider range and basis, including within the community.

You'll have seen, for example, some of the concerns people had about having a midwifery-led unit on the Withybush site; actually, there is no evidence, despite hundreds and hundreds of births, that it has compromised the care of women or their babies. We still, though, do continue to invest in the Withybush site; for example, the more than £3 million to complete improvements to wards 9 and 10 at Withybush hospital. So, there will continue to be an important role for the Withybush site to play in the future.

In terms of the new hospital option, I'm looking to receive a business case from the health board that sets out where they are and, as and when that's received and advice is provided to me about whether to support the next stage of that, I will, of course, make that clear. So, those are plans the health board are developing. I have a decision-making role, but I do look forward to—sooner rather than later, I hope—receiving that case to allow us to make a determination. And you and other people within west Wales will then get to see something about the vision for the future in terms of deliberately reshaping healthcare within west Wales and, indeed, the significant investment that will be required to make that happen.