A LAMPETER town councillor has taken a health chief to task over the lack of sexual health and family planning clinics in mid-Ceredigion.

Cllr Elin T Jones told Jina Hawkes, Hywel Dda University Health Board’s general manager for community and primary care, that the lack of easy access to such clinics was troubling and asked her to address the matter urgently.

“Problems are caused by transport issues, the cost of travel and the timings of these clinics,” she said.

“The clinics are all in Aberystwyth, Cardigan or Carmarthen which are not easy to get to for those of us living in more rural areas who don’t drive, plus the clinic timings make it harder.”

However, councillors welcomed the setting up of a body to oversee the development of health service clinics within the town.

Ms Hawkes revealed that the first meeting of the Lampeter Integrated Health Care Project Board had been held.

The move followed last July’s announcement that five clinics – speech and language therapy, paediatric, heart failure, community dental and podiatry would be temporarily removed from Lampeter Surgery following the expiry of a 20-year lease plus higher rental charges.

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