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| Minister 'regrets' surgery move | Minister 'regrets' surgery move |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Welsh Health Minister Brian Gibbons says he "regrets" a Carmarthenshire NHS Trust decision to end emergency surgery at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli. | Welsh Health Minister Brian Gibbons says he "regrets" a Carmarthenshire NHS Trust decision to end emergency surgery at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli. |
| All such operations will move to West Wales General in Carmarthen on Friday. | |
| Dr Gibbons ordered an inquiry into why the changes were being made and said he wanted the service to continue while the inquiry was conducted. | Dr Gibbons ordered an inquiry into why the changes were being made and said he wanted the service to continue while the inquiry was conducted. |
| But Carmarthenshire NHS Trust said it had to press ahead with the move to protect patient safety. | But Carmarthenshire NHS Trust said it had to press ahead with the move to protect patient safety. |
| Hospital campaigners have accused trust managers of "engineering" the situation by not replacing a retiring surgeon. | Hospital campaigners have accused trust managers of "engineering" the situation by not replacing a retiring surgeon. |
| The trust has written to the ambulance service, GPs and other bodies informing them of the move. | The trust has written to the ambulance service, GPs and other bodies informing them of the move. |
| Clinical director Martin Taube said: "Continuing with the delivery of general surgical services as they are currently organised will place them (patients) in immediate and serious jeopardy. | Clinical director Martin Taube said: "Continuing with the delivery of general surgical services as they are currently organised will place them (patients) in immediate and serious jeopardy. |
| "The changes however will allow us to develop Prince Philip Hospital as our main elective surgical site with immense benefits. | "The changes however will allow us to develop Prince Philip Hospital as our main elective surgical site with immense benefits. |
| It's quite breathtaking but they are the authors or their own misfortune Paul Harris, hospital campaigner | It's quite breathtaking but they are the authors or their own misfortune Paul Harris, hospital campaigner |
| "The streamlining of care will enable surgical consultants to deliver emergency care free from elective commitments, and to concentrate on their elective work when operating at Prince Philip." | "The streamlining of care will enable surgical consultants to deliver emergency care free from elective commitments, and to concentrate on their elective work when operating at Prince Philip." |
| The trust said for the last four years emergency surgery had only been carried out from 9am to 5pm in Llanelli, and recently this had amounted to between one and five operations a day. | The trust said for the last four years emergency surgery had only been carried out from 9am to 5pm in Llanelli, and recently this had amounted to between one and five operations a day. |
| Two years ago the Royal College of Surgeons recommended centralising emergency operations at one of the two sites. | Two years ago the Royal College of Surgeons recommended centralising emergency operations at one of the two sites. |
| The decision to go ahead with the changes was announced at a trust board meeting last week. | The decision to go ahead with the changes was announced at a trust board meeting last week. |
| Mr Gibbons said on Monday he was ordering an inquiry into the move, provoking claims of "electioneering" ahead of May's assembly elections. | Mr Gibbons said on Monday he was ordering an inquiry into the move, provoking claims of "electioneering" ahead of May's assembly elections. |
| 36,000 petition | 36,000 petition |
| Hospital campaigner Paul Harris said the trust had been forced to centralise emergency operations as it had not replaced a senior surgeon at Llanelli. | Hospital campaigner Paul Harris said the trust had been forced to centralise emergency operations as it had not replaced a senior surgeon at Llanelli. |
| "They have dispensed with his services and now have turned around and said 'Oh dear its clinically unsafe'. | "They have dispensed with his services and now have turned around and said 'Oh dear its clinically unsafe'. |
| "It's quite breathtaking but they are the authors or their own misfortune. | "It's quite breathtaking but they are the authors or their own misfortune. |
| "It was an unnecessary move and that is why we have pushed for an inquiry. | "It was an unnecessary move and that is why we have pushed for an inquiry. |
| "Personally I don't care if the inquiry takes a month or three months or which political party benefits but the 36,000 people who signed our petition against the move deserve the truth." | "Personally I don't care if the inquiry takes a month or three months or which political party benefits but the 36,000 people who signed our petition against the move deserve the truth." |