What we seek to learn?

At this stage, we do not have a preferred site for the new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital and we have not bought any site or land for this development. Purchasing a site and delivering the hospital is subject to Welsh Government funding, which is not yet confirmed. In this consultation we will ask you to tell us:

• Which of three potential sites you think is the best location for our new hospital and why.

• Concerns you may have about any of the three potential sites, so we can be aware of them and avoid, address, or reduce, the impact of them if possible.

• Anything else you think we need to consider – we look forward to hearing any new ideas you may have.

Your views, as well as other evidence and considerations, can influence future decisions about the location of the new hospital. The Health Board will meet later in the year (expected to be summer 2023) to consider your feedback as well as other information and evidence to discount sites or choose a preferred site.

Board members will consider all they have heard leading up to, and during, this consultation, including the Equality and Health Impact Assessment, which will consider how people could be impacted and what needs to be done to reduce negative impacts. They will also consider any new information that may come to light as a result of the consultation or ongoing technical and commercial work.

It is important that you know the following points are decided. This means they are not open to influence in this consultation:

• The three sites we are consulting on.

• The vision for services and structure of our hospital network, agreed in our health and care strategy, A Healthier Mid and West Wales: Our Future Generations Living Well. More detail is found here (opens in new window), and you can read the whole strategy whole strategy here (opens in new window).

It is summarised as follows:

• A network of community health and care facilities supported by more community-based care. 
• Three main hospitals:  
• A major new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital centrally located somewhere between Narberth and St Clears. 
• Bronglais General Hospital, Aberystwyth, will continue to provide hospital services for mid Wales as set out in the strategy “Delivering Excellent Rural Acute Care”, published in 2021(and available from the useful links area of our webpages). 
• Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, with acute medicine retained. 
• Two repurposed hospitals – Glangwili Hospital and Withybush Hospital – which will offer a range of community services to support the social model for health and well-being.

Please note, we have also been discussing how we provide children’s hospital services (paediatrics), in the south of the Hywel Dda region, in the interim of a new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital being built. This is because we have a temporary service model in place currently. We intend to consult with the public on this later in 2023. Updates will be provided on our website and through the local media.