A PEMBROKE Dock councillor is calling for the health board, which plans to downgrade Withybush hospital, with the loss of its A&E, to be placed in ‘special measures’.

Pembroke Dock Central county councillor Paul Dowson has submitted the notice of motion for the December 13 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council.

Hywel Dda Health Board’s controversial shake-up of services includes the plan to build a new urgent and planned care hospital somewhere between Narberth and St Clears, with both Withybush and Glangwili General Hospitals “repurposed” to offer a range of services to support as social model for health and well-being, designed with local people to meet their needs.

A Save Withybush Campaign, inviting people from across the county to demonstrate against cuts to urgent care (A&E) at the hospital has attracted thousands of people.

Cllr Dowson’s notice asks: “…that Pembrokeshire county council formally recommends to the Health Minister of Welsh Government that he puts Hywel Dda University Health Board into special measures.”

In his special measures call, he submits details of how the process works for hospitals.

Cllr Dowson, said: "The public have overwhelmingly opposed any downgrading or closure of Withybush hospital. As a county councillor I'm in the privileged position to have been democratically elected to represent thousands of people at local government level.

"The county has spoken and it is the will of the electorate to disagree with any form of downgrading to Withybush hospital.

"The health board along with certain politicians have been making drastic plans regarding our hospitals which are not in the slightest bit based upon any sort of business or financial knowledge, they have not listened to any of the advice, ideas or will of the people and then to further insult the public they have deceived us all with a scam about gathering and acting upon feedback obtained from scores of choreographed consultation events. The entire process has demonstrated the health board's incompetence regarding the management of public money, lack of the ability, knowledge and experience required to run what is essentially a massive business in a successful manner.

"Most alarmingly the board have created an embarrassing list of options which shows no thought or responsibility for the lives of the people living in or visiting Pembrokeshire.

"If I lived any further west than Haverfordwest I would pray every day that I would never have a heart attack or stroke because my chances of staying alive have now dropped dramatically. Poor decisions. Wasteful spending of public money, disregard for any sort of public opinion and total incompetence supported by elements of Welsh government. 

"It is time someone stepped in with special measures to ensure our lives are not unnecessarily placed in danger between now and completion of whatever result we are forced to live with during the transition period."