THE Deputy Health Minister was welcomed to Withybush Hospital on Monday (February 1).

Vaughan Gething AM met with Hywel Dda Health Board staff and patients and was given a tour of a new community-based eye care service which has reduced journey times for hundreds of patients.

Previously they were having to travel to either Aberystwyth or Ammanford to access wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treatment. Now, thanks to Welsh Government funding for a pilot project, the health board has been able to establish additional services in Pembrokeshire and South Ceredigion.

Mr Gething said: “I’m pleased to see how the £400,000 investment from the Welsh Government is making it easier for people to get treatment closer to their homes – this is an example of the NHS providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”

Consultant Ophthalmologist, Richard Wintle said: “This project will improve the quality of life for approximately 340 patients, often elderly and vulnerable, currently experiencing a significant travel burden. It will also release some capacity within our whole service, allowing us to treat more people who are waiting for care and improve patient outcomes.”

Wet AMD clinic patient, Lesley Jenkins, added: “For me this means I don’t have to travel from Pembroke Dock to Ammanford for an appointment – it saves me a 100 mile round-trip.”

The minister also met with some of the international doctors who have been employed by the health board as clinical fellows to support the junior doctor rota and maintain emergency and medical services at the hospital.

He later visited the Midwife Led Unit one year on from its official opening at Withybush. The units have been established following changes to how some women and children services are delivered in west Wales.

The changes involved the creation of midwife led units at Withybush, Glangwili and Bronglais hospitals.

Consultant led maternity care is provided at Bronglais and Glangwili. For the first time Glangwili is providing dedicated high dependency paediatric beds and is working towards reaching level two status for its neonatal services.

Since the midwife-led units were set up, only 30% of first-time mothers booked to give birth at Withybush have been subsequently transferred to the consultant led unit at Glangwili - below the national average of 36%.