Cabinet Minister for Health and Care visits Prince Philip Hospital
5 June 2026
Yesterday, (Thursday, 4 June 2026), Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, the new Cabinet Minister for Health and Care visited staff and patients at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli.
During the visit, the Cabinet Minister met with clinical and operational staff working in the hospital’s Day Surgery Unit and Minor Injury Unit (MIU), gaining insight into how services are supporting patients to access timely day surgical care and care closer to home.
Colleagues in the Day Surgery Unit shared how the service supports patients to receive planned procedures safely and efficiently, allowing them to return home on the same day. The Unit opened in 2022 to increase surgical capacity and help tackle waiting lists, enabling more patients to receive planned procedures more quickly.
At the MIU, staff highlighted the important role the service plays in providing rapid care for minor injuries, supporting wider urgent and emergency care pathways. Following the recent consultation, the MIU will be developed into an Urgent Care Treatment Centre. This will bring together minor injury services and Same Day Emergency Care to provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment for a wider range of urgent, non-life-threatening conditions, open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.
Commenting on his visit, Cabinet Minister for Health and Care Mabon ap Gwynfor, said: "It has been great to visit Prince Philip Hospital and see first-hand the excellent care being delivered for patients.
“Meeting the teams in the Day Surgery Unit and Minor Injury Unit gave me a real appreciation of the dedication and professionalism that staff bring to their work every single day here. I want to thank every member of staff for the warm welcome and for everything they do.
"In the Senedd this week, I was proud to set out this Government's priorities for the Health and Care sectors. We will tackle waiting lists by expanding surgical and diagnostic hubs across Wales. We will deliver an ambitious programme of NHS modernisation. And we will put preventative health at the heart of our approach, helping people to lead healthier, happier lives rather than simply managing sickness."
The visit provided an opportunity to discuss both the achievements and the ongoing challenges facing planned and urgent care services, as well as the continued commitment of staff to delivering high-quality care for local communities.
Dr Neil Wooding, Chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “We were pleased to welcome Mabon ap Gwynfor MS to Prince Philip Hospital on his first visit to Hywel Dda University Health Board in his new role as Cabinet Minister. It was an opportunity for colleagues from across our services to showcase the work taking place at our Day Surgery Unit and Minor Injury Unit.”
“Our staff are at the heart of everything we do, and visits like this are an important opportunity to highlight their dedication, professionalism and innovation in delivering care. It also allows us to have open and constructive conversations about the challenges we face and how we are committed to continue to improve services for our communities.”
The visit provided an opportunity to highlight the important role Prince Philip Hospital plays in providing care for local communities from across Hywel Dda and neighbouring areas, and how the Health Board is working to ensure patients receive the right care in the right place.
ENDS