A campaign group fighting to maintain stroke services at Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth is appealing to people to sign their petition.

More than 400 people turned out at a packed Great Hall last week to hear from health bosses and politicians over the future of services at the Aberystwyth hospital which serves a large swathe of mid Wales.

The proposal to change the stroke unit at Bronglais to a treat and transfer unit is not only a concern for north Ceredigion residents, but also for those who live in Meirionnydd and Powys, with Bronglais being the only district hospital in this part of Wales.

Protect Bronglais Services, a grassroots campaign group, has formed to fight any proposed downgrade of services.

The group has launched a Senedd petition, which needs 10,000 signatures to trigger a debate in Cardiff Bay.

So far, it has amassed just over 5,000.

The petition says: “Hywel Dda University Health Board's consultation proposes removing Bronglais Hospital’s full stroke service, forcing patients from Ceredigion, Powys, and South Meirionnydd into risky, long-distance transfers to hospitals in Llanelli or Haverfordwest.

“We urge the Senedd and Welsh Government to intervene immediately, insisting HDdUHB fully assesses these impacts and commits to maintaining Bronglais as a stroke rehabilitation unit, protecting vital health services in Mid Wales.

“The consultation proposes downgrading Bronglais’ stroke unit to 'Treat & Transfer' model forcing patients on unsafe 90 min to 2hr journeys to Llanelli or Haverfordwest.

“There is no evidence to address risks of these transfers given rural geography, ageing populations & poor transport. “HDdUHB admits significant staffing shortfalls & uncertain funding, making these changes unsafe & unrealistic. “Bronglais is the only District General Hospital in a 60–100 mile radius (on non-motorways) serving areas far beyond HDdUHB’s formal boundaries & into South Meirionnydd & Powys.”

A consultation into the plans runs until the end of August.

If you can’t do this online, Protect Bronglais Services will be outside Aberystwyth’s Morlan Centre from 3pm today, Monday, 30 June.