Health board to look at ‘100 ideas’ as it makes decisions on nine vital services

A HEALTH board has said it will look at “more than 100 alternative ideas” as it makes key decisions on the future of the services it can provide.

- ROB HARRIES

Bosses at Hywel Dda University Health Board, which manages healthcare provision across Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, will work alongside staff, stakeholders and patient representatives to examine different proposals for nine local healthcare services following the conclusion of a public consultation.

That consultation asked for people's views on what's known as the Clinical Services Plan, which presents options for the future of critical care, dermatology, emergency general surgery, endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, stroke, radiology and urology services.

Hywel Dda, together with independent research firm Opinion Research Services, is currently analysing approximately 4,000 questionnaire responses alongside feedback gathered from public events and engagement sessions.

This includes people’s views on the impacts of options put forward in the consultation, which options they think best deal with the challenges services face, and new ideas shared.