1.78 Prior to discussing consultees’ views on the two options for emergency general surgery, we would note that a significant set of voices - particularly among Withybush staff, social media contributors, and some public drop-in event and stakeholder meeting attendees - opposed any model that would remove emergency surgical cover from local hospitals. For these groups, emergency general surgery was seen as a critical local service, and its removal raised fears around longer journeys, delayed care, reduced viability of co-located emergency departments, and reduced community resilience, particularly in remote rural and coastal areas. These concerns were especially prevalent in Pembrokeshire.
1.79 Under both proposed options, the prospect of strengthening Surgical Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) was welcomed.