Holiday-park hospital decision questioned
THE decision to site an emergency Covid field hospital at Pembrokeshire’s Bluestone holiday park will come under question at a council meeting today.
Milford Haven county councillor Alan Dennison – in a written question to senior councillors – will question whether the use of the facility, said to have cost £10m, was the right choice.
Hywel Dda University Health Board worked with Pembrokeshire County Council in setting up a 126-bed Covid-19 field hospital in April 2020, with Bluestone National Park Resort identified as the most suitable location.
It was previously reported by the Local Democracy Service that the emergency hospital – known as Ysbyty Carreg Las – set up at Bluestone resulted in around £6m paid to the local holiday resort.
At today’s meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, Milford Haven North Cllr Dennison will ask: “Given that Bluestone was the
Pembrokeshire County Council recommended facility for the field hospital during the pandemic, does the cabinet member now consider this was the right choice, given the overall costs of over £10m to the Hywel Dda health board and the loss of income (and centre refurbishment) to the council by not utilising Pembrokeshire leisure centres as Carmarthenshire county council did?”
Cllr Dennison will also submit a
Notice of Motion: “That any decision taken by PCC in similar circumstances to that of the pandemic response to supply of field hospitals must primarily take into account the financial benefits to the council and ratepayers, and not to recommend or endorse any private commercial venture.”
In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, Hywel Dda has previously supplied a break-down of monthly costs at Ysbyty Carreg Las at Bluestone.