Local Assembly Member Paul Davies has recently led a Welsh Conservative debate on Withybush Hospital in the Assembly Chamber; whilst protestors from across Pembrokeshire gathered outside the Senedd to protest against its potential downgrading.
Mr Davies said, "I was pleased to lead and take part in such an important debate. It was a particularly timely one, as Pembrokeshire residents had been protesting outside the Senedd about the downgrading of services at Withybush hospital that very day. I fully believe that my constituents should not have to travel greater distances for lifesaving medical care and treatment. I sought assurances from the Health Minister and challenged her over concerns to downgrade District General Hospitals. The Welsh Labour Government is cutting the Welsh NHS budget by £534 million in real terms over the next three years, and doing so at a time when one in eight people in Wales are on an NHS waiting list. This is why hospitals like Withybush are seeing services such as orthodontics and histopatholgy disappear without consultation."
The debate also called on the Welsh Government to do more to recruit doctors to the area, review the applicability of clinical safety guidelines to ensure they reflect local conditions; and clarify the current funding position of the local health boards in Wales.
Mr Davies added "The people of Pembrokeshire have faced uncertainty about the future of their hospital before and I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Welsh Labour Government does not let this happen again. More staff to cover local services should also be employed. If this does not happen, patients may be forced to travel further afield for treatment. In a rural county like Pembrokeshire, this extra distance could cost lives. The Welsh Labour Government need to recognise that delivering health services in rural areas is very different from delivering health services in urban areas. A one-size-fits-all approach simply does not work."
