Local Senedd Member Paul Davies has expressed his outrage at Hywel Dda University Health Board’s decision to remove emergency general surgery services from Withybush hospital.
Hywel Dda University Heath Board held an extraordinary meeting of the Board on the 18th and 19th February 2026 to take decisions about nine clinical services that were included in its Clinical Services Plan. Prior to the meeting, the Health Board ran a consultation about its Clinical Services Plan in the summer of 2025 and then an independent company, Opinion Research Services (ORS), gathered together the consultation views and created a report to inform the Board’s meeting.
Mr Davies said, “I’m extremely angry that Hywel Dda University Health Board has once again decided to remove services from Withybush hospital. Patients will now have to travel for emergency general surgery services and it’s another example of the Health Board doing whatever it wants, against the will of the people of Pembrokeshire.”
“This is the latest in a long line of services that has been stripped from the hospital over the years and is further evidence that the Health Board is pushing a centralisation agenda that punishes the people of Pembrokeshire. As usual, when it comes to delivering health services in west Wales, the Health Board’s vision includes stripping services from Withybush hospital.
"I will be taking this to the Senedd and calling on the Welsh Government to urgently intervene and to stop the Health Board from making this catastrophic decision.”