Health Board to consider next phase of consultation on stroke services
22 May 2026
Hywel Dda University Health Board will consider plans to launch a second phase of public consultation on the future of stroke services at its meeting on 28 May 2026.
This follows the first phase of the Clinical Services Plan consultation and decisions made at the Health Board’s Extraordinary Board meeting in February 2026. At that meeting, the Board agreed future service models for eight of the nine services included in the Clinical Services Plan. No decision was made regarding the future of stroke services across the Health Board area.
Stroke services are fragile and currently do not meet clinical standards. The service is currently spread across four hospital sites, and the Health Board does not have specialist cover seven days a week. This can lead to patient outcomes that are not as good as they could be. Change is needed to ensure services are safe, sustainable, accessible and kind for patients and staff.
At its February meeting, the Board considered what was heard during the consultation, including a separate petition around changes at hospital sites. For stroke services, the Board considered the options that it had consulted on and two new alternative ideas that were put forward during the consultation (Option 106 and Option 210). During the discussion it was felt that none of the options or ideas presented addressed all the issues individually, but they could if elements from Option 106 and Option 210 were brought together in a new merged idea.
The Board decided that it would like to test this merged idea further as a preferred option. This included asking for further work to be done to develop the option and test it against the same criteria as the other options. This would also need additional engagement to seek views from patients, carers, staff, partner organisations and local communities, before a final decision can be taken.
The proposed consultation is an essential part of the Health Board’s commitment to ensuring that all voices are heard in shaping the future of healthcare in the region. If endorsed, this second phase of consultation will focus on how stroke services could be provided across Hywel Dda’s four main hospital sites. It will seek views on the preferred option for future stroke services.
The preferred option has been developed by bringing together two alternative ideas proposed by our communities during the first phase of consultation, Option 106 and Option 210. Together these would create:
- a 24-hour acute stroke and rehabilitation unit at Glangwili Hospital
- a stroke rehabilitation unit at Bronglais Hospital, and
- treat and transfer for stroke provided from Bronglais, Prince Philip and Withybush hospitals. Following initial treatment patients would be transferred from here to Glangwili Hospital or directly to a Thrombectomy Centre (in Cardiff or Bristol, as is currently the case) if this is the most appropriate treatment.
The second phase of consultation will ask people whether they support the preferred option and why. If people do not support the preferred option, it will ask whether another previously consulted on options should be considered. People will also be asked to share anything else they think should be considered to improve services in the future, including any equality and Welsh language impacts.
Dr Neil Wooding, Chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “Thank you to everyone who has already given their time and provided feedback in the first phase of our Clinical Services Plan consultation, which has enabled us to reach this point. While we were able to take decisions on eight of the nine fragile services included in our Clinical Services Plan earlier this year, no decisions about the future model for stroke services have been made.
“If endorsed by our Board next week, we will be inviting individuals and organisations who are interested in the services we provide to share their views with us on the preferred option for the future of stroke services at Hywel Dda.”
If approved, the second phase of consultation will launch on 28 May 2026 and will run until 26 July 2026. The consultation will be open to everyone including patients and carers, staff and volunteers, partner organisations, and people living in neighbouring health board areas. The Board will then carefully consider all the evidence, and everything it has heard during both phases of the Clinical Services Plan consultation before a decision is made later this year.
Lee Davies, Executive Director of Strategy and Planning, said: “We know how important stroke services are to our communities, and we are committed to taking the time needed to understand people’s views on the preferred option and the other options already consulted on, before any final decisions are made.
“We need to change our current service to ensure that people in our communities have the best possible outcomes and chance of recovery from a stroke.”
The Public Board meeting will be broadcast online. Board papers and a link to the meeting is available on the Health Board’s website here (opens in new tab).
More information about the Clinical Services Plan is available here (opens in new tab).