Calls for town to be considered as site for new hospital
PLAID Cymru leader Adam Price and the party’s politicians in Carmarthenshire are calling on the health board to add Carmarthen to the shortlist of potential sites being considered for a new hospital, complete with A&E facilities.
Hywel Dda University Health Board is currently considering a list of sites between St Clears and Narberth for a new urgent and planned care hospital to serve the region.
The sites are in the process of being whittled down, with one preferred location expected to be announced this summer. If plans are approved, the hospital would open in late 2029.
The plans are part of a wider health board business case which was given the green light last month by the health chiefs to submit a business case to the Welsh Government that could see £1.3bn ploughed into overhauling health care across Mid and West Wales.
Part of those extensive plans involves the repurposing and potential rebuilding of the Glangwili Hospital site in Carmarthen.
However, Plaid leader Adam Price, who is the party’s Senedd Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, argues Carmarthen should be added to the shortlist of sites for the new hospital and detailed evaluation.
His calls are being backed by local Plaid councillors.
However, Plaid said it strongly supports the health board’s business case for large-scale investment in integrating health and care community facilities, the long-overdue renovation and upgrading of Glangwili Hospital and other sites.
The party is also calling for urgent initiatives to recruit staff to fill the present 950 full-time vacancies.
The health board currently relies on agency staff and overtime – a completely unsustainable situation, claims Plaid.
On adding Carmarthen as a possible site for the new hospital, Mr Price said: “For any proposal to centralise NHS services
At this stage, however, it is absolutely essential that Carmarthen is at least included as a potential location for any new proposed hospital and is evaluated objectively alongside the other suggested sites
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price
across West Wales to succeed, it will need to persuade the public that this will enhance, not diminish, the quality of care.
“We will scrutinise the final proposals with this at the forefront of our minds.
“At this stage, however, it is absolutely essential that Carmarthen is at least included as a potential location for any new proposed hospital and is evaluated objectively alongside the other suggested sites.
“Excluding the region’s main service centre would be perverse and undermine public confidence in the fairness and transparency of the process.”
Plaid Cymru county councillors in the Carmarthen area said in a statement: “Carmarthen is the regional centre for West Wales and offers many existing and potential future advantages in terms of transport, housing, education, training and leisure facilities.
“It also has an existing general hospital, which has seen substantial recent investment, and where many millions of pounds more will be spent under the planned renovation of older parts of the hospital.
“It follows that Carmarthen, especially the existing or expanded Glangwili site, should at least be shortlisted for a comprehensive and comparative detailed options appraisal.
“The population of the town and its large hinterland would expect nothing less.”
Responding to the calls from Plaid, Hywel Dda University Health Board said the plans to locate the new urgent and planned care hospital on land between St Clears and Narberth were drawn up following extensive public consultation back in 2018.
A spokesperson for Hywel Dda said: “Hywel Dda University Health Board’s long-term strategy is to develop and build a new hospital in the south of the Hywel Dda area, somewhere between and including St Clears in Carmarthenshire and Narberth in Pembrokeshire.
“This location is the most central for most of the population in the south of the Hywel Dda area, and it was determined through the public consultation held in 2018.”