WITHYBUSH Hospital's children's care unit is back to full working order after it was closed on the weekend due to a staff shortage, Hywel Dda Health Board has announced.

The health board confirmed the Paediatric Ambulatory Care Unit was closed on November 10 and 11 in a statement by by Joe Teape, the health board's director of operations and deputy chief executive.

On Monday, November 12 Mr Teape said: "Despite the absence of consultant cover during the course of the weekend, we were able to maintain a paediatric medical and nursing presence at the hospital in support of the Emergency Department.

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience which was due to a shortage of consultant cover during the weekend."

The PACU reopened on Monday, November 12 at 10am.

Though there was no paediatric consultant covering the weekend leading to the unit's closure, other staff were able to support Withybush's Emergency and Urgent Care Centre, which was able to care for minor injuries to children.

Children requiring hospital care from paediatric specialist staff were transferred to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.

In a statement released on Friday, November 2 Mr Teape said the health board is committed to providing a PACU service from Withybush Hospital but so far has been unable to recruit enough paediatric medical staff to resume the 12-hour opening times.

"We continue to work with our doctors, other clinical staff, recruitment specialists, and the CHC to try and address our challenges and recruit into these vacant posts," he said.

"We believe providing paediatric hospital services from a new hospital between St Clears and Narberth, alongside strengthened community services and local hospital support, offers the best and most equitable solution for our families across the south of our area.

"This would also bring overnight paediatric services closer to our Pembrokeshire communities."