Maternity services at West Wales General Hospital, Glangwili, are to get £25million from the Welsh Government for the second phase of the redevelopment of obstetric and neonatal facilities.

During a visit to Glangwili on Thursday, the cabinet secretary for health and social services, Vaughan Gething, announced the investment was needed to address urgent areas of concern in maternity services in Hywel Dda Health Board.

Adam Price, Assembly Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, welcomed the investment, but was concerned that there could be a delay in delivery of the new facilities.

He said: "The announcement shows a profound lack of coordination between the Labour Welsh Government and the health board.

“We now need urgent clarification from them both as to what today's announcement means for the proposed transformation of clinical services.”

The health board is still considering six options for Glangwili. Three of these propose that it becomes a planned care centre and loses its emergency services and trauma services.

“We may soon see proposals to close the very hospital which is to receive additional money,” Mr Price said.

"If the investment announced today is likely to take two years before completion, and we may well see proposals for closure in the meantime, we have to question whether the Health Board and Labour Government know what they're doing in terms of planning for the future of our health services."

The £25million will be used to provide more high dependency cots, special care cots and parent overnight-stay rooms, as well as increase the number of birthing rooms, operating theatres and resuscitation bays at Glangwili.

The hospital is also planning to build an additional 59 car parking spaces.