HYWEL Dda University Health Board says it is ‘confident but not complacent’ about the consultation on its plan to shake up clinical services in west Wales.

The ‘mid-point’ of its Transforming Clinical Services programme, including the recently-closed consultation, has been given a certificate of good practice.

But at the health board’s meeting on Thursday (26 July) members were reminded that there would be no substantive plan of what services will be like until the November meeting.

At its meeting in September, analysis of the consultation and a “direction of travel” will be on the agenda said chairman Bernardine Rees.

Director of transformation, Libby Ryan-Davies, updated the meeting on changes made to the consultation process following a mid-point review.

She said the health board had “responded to concerns and comments raised in order to gather views from as many people as possible in order to improve ‘reach’ and ‘impact’”.

Accreditation of good practice from the Consultation Institute was received this week, added Mrs Ryan-Davies.

Included in the report to the board was a list of the numerous consultation events, public drop in and staff meetings held to discuss the planned changes, which will see many services removed from hospitals such as Withybush in Haverfordwest.

Sarah Jennings, director of partnerships and corporate services, said that special effort was made to engage with “protected characteristic” groups.

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