A petition to save services, including A&E at Withybush Hospital, has a fifth of the signatures it needs to be considered for a debate in the Senedd, just days after it was launched.

Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB) has approved a business case which proposes ‘repurposing’ Withybush into a community hospital which would have a 24/7 GP-led urgent care centre dealing with minor injuries.

More serious injuries would be dealt with at a newly built urgent and planned care hospital, to be built on a site between Narberth and St Clears, which will be home to a trauma unit and emergency department.

Many Pembrokeshire residents oppose the move and feel strongly that the county should retain its A&E department.

Jacqueline Doig of the Save Withybush campaign has set up a petition on the Senedd Cymru petitions page.

It states: “Withybush General Hospital must retain 24 hour, seven days a week, consultant-led urgent care.”

The petition goes on to say: “Moving care out of county puts adults and children at risk of poor outcomes or even death. It wastes crucial time, when time is not on our side.

“We have 125,000 residents and millions of tourists. By implementing the downgrades, HDUHB, will be knowingly putting their lives at risk. We re-iterate, we are a rural, widespread county, with poor roads and public transport network. Refinery, gas plant, ferry ports, firing range, extreme sports, plus one of the most dangerous professions: farming.”

It added that HDUHB assertion that better equipped ambulances and more highly trained staff made the changes safe was dependant on an ambulance attending promptly.

“That is increasingly not the case,” it states. “It is an awful feeling to know that if our relatives or our children have a life-threatening asthma attack, epileptic episode, or other time critical issue, within the new plans, they are unlikely to get to help and survive.”

The petition currently has more than 2,000 signatures which means it will be discussed by the Petitions Committee. If it reaches 10,000 signatures it will be considered for a debate in the Senedd.

The Save Withybush campaign is also planning a rally and protest outside the hospital on Wednesday, February 23.

The family rally; ‘Save Withybush A&E and Stop the Downgrade’ will take place from 11am to 1pm in the Wednesday of half term week. Children are welcome and protestors are asked to make and bring placards and banners.

The rally will be non-political and is designed to support the hospital, not to disrupt the work of the staff.