No changes will be made to Glangwili Hospital before a new 'super hospital' is built, the chair of Hywel Dda Health Board has confirmed.

Maria Battle has said that Glangwili will have no changes made, just like its Pembrokeshire counterpart Withybush Hospital, as the health board decide on a location for the new hospital.

The health board plans to consult with the public over three potential sites for the planned and urgent care hospital – two in the Whitland area and one in St Clears.

In a meeting held on Thursday, August 4, the board unanimously agreed that further public consultation was necessary in deciding a site.

This consultation is “to hear the voices of the seldom heard and staff, including those in the community and primary care services.”

Three of the health board’s previous five sites have been taken forward to the future public consultation.

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Site J from St Clears has not been taken forward to consultation due to it having a much higher risk score than the other sites in the technical appraisal.

The other site not taken forward is the Narberth site, because of concerns that a site further west would see a reduction in the number of births, neonatal admission and acute paediatric admissions.

The health board said this would have an overall negative impact on maintaining trainee status for doctors, nurses and midwives.

In summing up the meeting, health board chair Maria Battle said: “We have listened to and continue to listen to the fears and voices of the public we serve and our staff who understand the frontline challenges of trying to deliver services across so many sites and spread so thinly.

"We promise as a board to continue to listen and take those views into account at every stage.

"Recognising the fragility of our services and the risk this poses every day, we do not intend to make changes at Glangwili or Withybush Hospital before a new hospital is built.

"And afterwards, they will continue to provide valuable health services to our communities.”

The health board will now work closely with Hywel Dda Community Health Council to develop a consultation plan to hear people’s views on the three remaining sites, one in St Clears, and two in Whitland.