PEMBROKESHIRE'S Bluestone coronavirus field hospital is to be decommissioned in the next week.

Bluestone's Ysbyty Enfys Carreg Las, based near Narberth, along with Ysbyty Enfys Scarlets, based at Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli; and Ysbyty Enfys Plascrug, Aberystwyth, will all be returned to their former use from March 31, Hywel Dda University Health Board has said.

The health board would like to urge caution and remind members of the public that the pandemic remains active, and people should not assume planning decisions signal an immediate return to normality.

Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr David Simpson, said: “Pembrokeshire County Council is pleased to have worked collaboratively with Hywel Dda on the development of the Covid-19 Field Hospital at Ysbyty Enfys Carreg Las.

"The scheme was developed with breath-taking speed – from inception to practical completion in less than a month. We are pleased to have been a partner to the Health Board in providing this important facility for local residents during this difficult period.”

Ysbyty Enfys Selwyn Samuel, in Llanelli, will be retained until 2022 as a surge facility in the event of a possible third wave of Coronavirus, while Cardigan Leisure Centre will be retained as a Test Trace and Protect and mass vaccination facility.

Andrew Carruthers, director of operations at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “From the outset it was clear that we could not predict the way the virus would spread and affect our local population, and we have known that being flexible in our use of these facilities would be key to the way we cared for patients.

“We are proud to have been able to bring some of our field hospitals into use to help manage the demand during the second wave in particular, and are currently looking at what level of support we may need going forwards.

“As such we can confirm that we will be returning some of our field hospitals to their former use, while taking a pragmatic and cautious approach by retaining some beds in the Carmarthenshire locality in the event of a possible third wave of the virus."

He added: “This pandemic has taken a tragic toll on human life, and despite the success of the vaccine rollout both locally and nationally, it is far from over. It’s essential that our local communities continue to follow national guidance on all aspects of lockdown restrictions, distancing, hygiene and use of masks, and that people do not view the operational decisions that we take as a health board in isolation – we all still need to continue with the collective effort in the fight against Covid-19.”