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It's official, Llanelli doesn't have an A&E

by Jonathan Williams

Yes it has taken us sometime to find out but Hywel Dda Health Board do admit that Prince Philip Hospital doesn't have an A&E!

Our original article said that PPH would be downgraded and the Health Board complained to us that our article was inaccurate. Well how was it inaccurate?

It was because PPH doesn't have an A&E!

You might be forgiven for thinking that with the signs and the listing of an A&E on the NHS website that we would have one. However we don't!

Campaigners marched in 2007 to save PPH A&E as it wasn’t open 24 hours, they walked around town waving banners some saying “Don’t close our A&E at night. Who has the right to choose between life or death.” They all thought that they did save A&E, but now the Board say no they didn’t as they never had one?

You're confused? So am I!

Well we contacted Hywel Dda to see if they could clarify the situation and this is their reply:

So PPH doesn’t have an A&E? Yes or No?

"No. Prince Philip Hospital's current emergency department is classed as a Level 2 emergency unit but it is clear that using the name 'Accident and Emergency' poses a continuing risk that local people and visitors to the area think it provides the full range of services expected of a full A&E department (e.g. emergency surgery, trauma and paediatrics)."

We then asked when did the board officially downgrade PPH from a fully functioning A&E?

"The A&E at Prince Philip Hospital has been in its current form since the formation of Hywel Dda Health Board in 2009. Since then, we have continued to be concerned that whilst it is currently ‘signposted’ as an Accident and Emergency department it does not meet the criteria of a full A&E service as it can not manage surgical ,or paediatric, gynaecology, or trauma emergencies, resulting in confusion regarding what care is available at Prince Philip Hospital."

So there we are then? According to the Health Board, PPH has never had an A&E. So where does that leave us?

Well the board 'simply' say:

"This is why the health board is proposing to change the name of the department to better reflect the services it provides - a Local Accident Centre. No emergency services will be removed."

Did we ever have an A&E? As it stands, the answer is a resounding NO.

Keep popping back as we'll have more questions and answers from the Health Board over the next few days.