Swat campaign relaunched

10:12am Tuesday 25th September 2007

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CAMPAIGN group Swat is relaunching its appeal to protect the services at Withybush hospital.

Members of the group met on Tuesday to discuss the proposed merger of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion NHS trusts.

Speaking after the meeting, deputy mayor of Haverfordwest Cherie Harvey said: "This is just a fall back to the original plans that the people of Pembrokeshire rejected.

"I feel that project manager Keith Thompson needs to go back to the drawing board and then come back and answer ourquestions."

The group is planning to arrange protest rallies in Milford Haven, Haverfordwest and Cardiff in the near future.

The Swat meeting followed a Community Health Council (CHC) meeting on Monday night at which councillors and members of the public were shown a presentation explaining the proposal.

Members of the public and the CHC voiced fierce objections, despite Mr Thompson's assurances that Withybush is safe.

At the meeting he said: "Withybush Hospital will not be closing and anyone who tells you it will is a liar."

Speaking to the Mercury on Wednesday Cllr Harvey said: "We know Withybush will still be there but we are worried about protecting the services. We don't want it just to be a case of assess, stabilise, transfer."