HYWEL Dda health chiefs have been urged by Ceredigion Labour Party to guarantee no “invisible” downgrading of Bronglais Hospital, and to move ahead with plans for a health community hub in Lampeter if they proceed with a shake-up of services.

A public consultation into the future of services across the Hywel Dda region closed on Thursday, 12 July.

In its response, the Ceredigion Labour Party branch questioned whether the changes would help ease the health board’s financial problems and warned that making significant changes could even threaten the management of vital health services.

The party called for Hywel Dda to abandon the consultation and to instead adopt a ‘stop and fix’ approach to address a range of issues.

Members said assurances must be given that services will not be removed from the Aberystwyth hospital by stealth and that promises of a community service hub for Lampeter must be met.

It says: “Hywel Dda must guarantee Lampeter a community hub, which has been promised verbally and in public, but is not mentioned in the board’s current proposals.

“Despite Hywel Dda’s apparent commitment to retaining A&E and other essential services at Bronglais Hospital, the branch remains concerned and watchful about the possible ‘invisible’ downgrading of Bronglais, e.g through diminished senior doctor and consultant cover, the introduction of physician associates to replace qualified doctors, and a shift of better-qualified staff to the proposed new urgent and planned care hospital in the south.”

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now