ANY decision on the future of Withybush Hospital should be deferred for up to a year, NHS advisers have said.

The Mid and West Wales Acute Services Review Board has proposed that a decision on Withybush Hospital be deferred for six to twelve months while a new planning forum carries out further research.

Some have interpreted the recommendation as safeguarding Withybush, at least for the short term. Others see it as a cynical ploy to delay a decision until after next May's Welsh Assembly elections.

The review board also suggests that a single trust be developed for Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion and as soon as possible.

The Local Health Board does not have the power to implement this change but it can recommend to the Welsh Assembly that this should be done.

Project director, Allison Williams, said: "The way things are at the moment, the LHB won't be making a decision on the proposals as they currently stand.

"The people of Pembrokeshire have said how can you expect us to make a decision on the future of our services without any idea of what it will be like and how we will get there?' "We have listened to that and we need to do further work."

Asked what the recent announcement of a new £8.75 million A&E unit meant for the future of Withybush, Ms Williams replied: "I think the message that sends to the community is that the provision of local emergency assessment is very clearly established so that access will be maintained irrespective of what happens."

The Local Health Board will be discussing the recommendations - as well as the Community Health Council's People's Vision' proposals, which focus on retaining and upgrading Withybush - today (Thursday) at 1pm at the County Showground Pavilion in Haverfordwest.