Local Senedd Members Paul Davies MS and Samuel Kurtz MS have criticised Welsh Labour’s renewed pledge to deliver a new hospital for West Wales, describing the proposal as a “desperate pre-election distraction” from immediate pressures facing local health services.
The intervention follows fresh commitments from the First Minister ahead of the Senedd election in May to progress plans for a new regional hospital, a proposal that has been raised repeatedly over several decades but has yet to materialise. Although potential sites have previously been explored, the project was effectively paused by the local health board, with delivery unlikely for at least another decade due to financial and economic constraints.
Davies and Kurtz argue that communities in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion cannot afford further delay while services at existing hospitals face increasing centralisation and uncertainty.
Paul Davies MS said:
“People in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion do not need vague long-term aspirations. They need certainty and investment now. Services are being centralised and downgraded while we are told to wait for something that is neither fully planned nor properly funded.
“Instead of chasing headlines, the Welsh Government should focus on safeguarding and strengthening services at Withybush Hospital and Bronglais Hospital. The message from our communities is clear: invest in the hospitals we have so people can access the care they need closer to home.”
The two MSs contend that immediate capital and workforce investment in existing facilities is the only credible way to guarantee patient safety, reduce excessive travel times for rural residents, and provide sustainable healthcare across West Wales.
They are calling on the Welsh Government to publish a clear, fully costed and deliverable plan to protect core services at Withybush and Bronglais, rather than relying on what they describe as “recycled promises that never materialise.”
Samuel Kurtz MS added:
“Just ahead of a Senedd election, the First Minster dusts off a decades old plan and tries to sell it to local voters who can see straight through this empty promise. This is nothing more than a desperate and cynical promises to try and save the First Minister’s seat, knowing that she won’t be in a position to deliver it.
“When 10,000 local people sign a petition demanding the Welsh Government intervene on Withybush, and all they can do is press release a decades old plan, it shows Labour are no not serious about supporting the communities of West Wales.”
Davies and Kurtz reiterated that protecting frontline services at Withybush and Bronglais must be the immediate priority for the Welsh Government, warning that confidence in local healthcare provision will continue to erode without tangible action.