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Specialist maternity services transferring to Carmarthenshire Specialist baby care services centralised in Carmarthenshire
(35 minutes later)
Specialist maternity services in Pembrokeshire are to be transferred to Carmarthenshire, the health minister has confirmed. Plans to centralise specialist care for babies born in west Wales are to go ahead, the health minister has said.
Mark Drakeford said the changes should only go ahead when emergency hospital transfer arrangements were in place. The decision would mean that the special care baby unit at Withybush hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, would close.
He said obstetric and maternity services at Withybush and Bronglais hospitals would become midwifery-led. Campaigners have warned this move could put lives at risk.
About 600 people protested this month at the plan to transfer services to Glangwili in Carmarthen. Under the new model, doctors based in Carmarthen would provide specialist care for mothers and babies.
Opponents of the proposals claim lives could be lost if some care is shifted from Withybush. About 600 people protested this month at the plan to transfer services to Glangwili.
Campaigners, some politicians and the local patients' watchdog have insisted moving services further away could put people at risk. Under the new model, doctors based in Carmarthen would provide specialist care for mothers and babies across the Hywel Dda Health Board area with other hospitals eventually providing a midwife-led service.
Mr Drakeford said the panel recommending the changes had included important provisos on the move as well as a phased introduction. Health Minister Mark Drakeford said the panel of experts recommending the changes had included important safeguards as well as a phased introduction.
He said: "These include robust 'safety net' arrangements to provide midwives with skilled assistance in the event of an unexpected emergency. He said: "These include robust 'safety net' arrangements to provide midwives with skilled assistance in the event of an unexpected emergency," he said.
"There must also be robust emergency transfer arrangements, and the midwife-led units must be developed according to strict guidelines."There must also be robust emergency transfer arrangements, and the midwife-led units must be developed according to strict guidelines.
"These changes will mean that the majority of maternity services will continue to be provided locally by their GP and hospital as they are now, and the majority of women can safely choose to have their deliveries at their local midwife-led unit.""These changes will mean that the majority of maternity services will continue to be provided locally by their GP and hospital as they are now, and the majority of women can safely choose to have their deliveries at their local midwife-led unit."
Urgent care
The panel advising Mr Drakeford indicated providing special baby care units across the health board was "neither safe nor sustainable".
Mr Drakeford said the interim measure included developing an all-Wales round-the-clock emergency transport service for mothers and babies needing urgent care.
The minister was required to come to a decision about the plans, which were initially developed by Hywel Dda Health Board, because of opposition by the local patients watchdog.
Campaigners have frequently raised concerns that centralising baby care in west Wales could put babies and mothers at increased risk.
Paul Davies, Conservative AM for Preseli Pembrokeshire, described it as "bleak" for mothers and babies in Pembrokeshire.
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams said the announcement would be a bitter blow to local people.
She said: "Far from being reassured that these changes will lead to a better service, parents-to-be will feel let down by both the local health board and the Welsh Labour government.
"The scrutiny panel also raised a number of concerns over the robustness of the board's emergency plans and its ability to deliver on their proposals.
"While midwife-led units offer a very good service, it is clear that the majority of mothers who have previously had their babies delivered in Withybush will now have to travel to Carmarthen to have their babies."