New hospital theatres plan given Assembly cash boost

10:37am Thursday 10th July 2008

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A £3.4million plan to build two new theatres at Withybush Hospital was approved by Welsh Assembly health minister Edwina Hart yesterday (Wednesday).

Ms Hart claims the investment was proof of her commitment to securing the long-term future of the hospital. She was also confident the new theatres would significantly improve patient services.

She said: "This will help the trust meet the Welsh Assembly's challenging waiting time targets. By the end of next year, no patient will wait more than 26 weeks from primary care referral to treatment, including access to diagnostic tests."

"These theatres will improve the working environment for staff, speed up treatment for patients, reduce cancellations and help attract more high-quality staff to the area with the new state-of-the-art facilities," she added.

Chief executive of the trust Martin Turner echoed Ms Hart's sentiments.

He described the approval as fantastic news and said it was the culmination of years of hard work by dedicated staff in the Pembrokeshire area.

Under the plans, the new theatres would be built above the new £10.3million accident and emergency unit, which is currently under construction.