Projected improvements to Glangwilli’s maternity services will take place in two phases rather than one, Hywel Dda University Health Board announced on Monday.

Last year the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health looked into service reorganisation in west Wales, where consultant-led maternity services and the special care baby unit was moved from Withybush to Glangwili.

The review team found that, although the move had not adversely affected patients’ clinical outcomes, the labour ward in Glangwili was “not fit for purpose”.

“It is too small, with insufficient facilities and provides a poor environment for women and staff,” it said.

It added that the promised expansion of the facilities must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

The health board announced this week that the project would now incorporate stages two and three, with phase two improving the Special Care Baby Unit, labour ward and maternity theatres.

Phase Three, would follow this, and would improve gynaecology, postnatal and antenatal accommodation. It would also create a bigger new build footprint at the hospital for children’s services.

NHS Wales has already earmarked £3m in its 2016/17 budget for preparatory work to support Phase Two, which is estimated to bring investment in excess of £10m into Glangwilli.

Chief Executive Steve Moore, said that the health board was committed to both phases of the project which would “create optimal environments to provide our women and children with the very best of care.”

“We know it is frustrating, especially for services which are now scheduled in Phase Three,” he said. “But we made this decision in conjunction with our clinicians and other staff as we did not want to be limited by the current footprint of the hospital, which we think needs to be bigger to do justice to these important services.

“At the same time, we could not wait for one large scale project as this will take time to deliver and there are urgent elements of improvements, particularly in the labour ward and Special Care Baby Unit, which we need to achieve for our patients with haste.

“We know that this service change has not been easy, particularly for our Pembrokeshire community, but also our staff, which is why we are working hard to upgrade facilities at Glangwili Hospital and improve the staff and patient experience all round.”

The two phased approach was approved by the Health Board’s Business Planning and Performance Committee at the end of March and will be reported to full Health Board for endorsement in July.

Resources, including the draft schedules of accommodation and initial staff and user feedback, are available at http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/862/page/85447. Any comments can be e-mailed to Hyweldda.engagement@wales.nhs.uk or by calling, and leaving an answerphone message on 01554899056.