Politicians have debated calls to safeguard full stroke services at Bronglais Hospital after more than 17,000 signed one of the biggest petitions in the Senedd’s 26-year history.

Campaigners urged the Senedd and Welsh Government to intervene immediately to protect the stroke unit amid plans to downgrade the service to a “treat-and-transfer” model.

Under consultation proposals, stroke patients presenting at the Aberystwyth hospital could be transferred to the Prince Philip in Llanelli or Withybush in Haverfordwest.

Labour’s Carolyn Thomas, who chairs the Senedd’s petitions committee, said only a handful of petitions – including calls to scrap 20mph limits – have collected more signatures.

The petition, submitted by Bryony Davies from the Protect Bronglais Services campaign, warned patients face risky, long-distance transfers taking two hours if services are cut.

Leading today’s (October 22) debate, Ms Thomas explained the Hywel Dda health board is expected to make a decision this autumn following a consultation between May and August.

She said Bronglais scored relatively well in a UK-wide assessment of stroke care services, with a ‘B’ alongside Withybush whereas Prince Philip and Glangwili received a ‘C’.

The petitioners expressed concerns about the potential implications for end-of-life care, warning stroke patients could die far away from their families.

Ms Thomas told Senedd members: “We noted the petitioners’ concerns that the role of family and friends in stroke rehabilitation is being overlooked, with distances and limited transport infrastructure making regular visits impractical.

“Using online platforms for patient communication instead is criticised as unrealistic, given stroke-related impairments and poor digital connectivity.”

Her committee has also received other petitions on the future of hospital care, raising alarm over a “crisis” at Glangwili and the loss of weekend services at Cardigan’s minor injuries unit.

Hywel Dda health board has argued the Bronglais changes are necessary to make stroke services more sustainable, with centralisation improving staff recruitment and retention.

But the petitioners pointed out that no equality impact assessment was carried out, urging the health board to “go back to the drawing board and run a truly consultative process”.

Paul Davies, the Conservative Senedd member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, backed the campaign, telling colleagues the proposals will have a “huge impact” across west Wales.

Warning patients face a round trip of 200 miles or more, he said: “Forcing us to travel further for essential and indeed vital services is totally unacceptable.”

Mr Davies pointed to a 2014 Welsh Government-commissioned study which recommended unnecessary journeys to access care should be eliminated in mid Wales. He also raised the Stroke Association’s opposition to the proposals.

He said: “To centralise these services away from Bronglais when the unit has been declared the best in the Hywel Dda health board area does not make any sense whatsoever.”

Mabon ap Gwynfor, Plaid Cymru’s shadow health secretary, stressed every minute counts in treating stroke and rehab is just as important to give patients the best chance to recover.

Mr ap Gwynfor, whose father is a stroke patient at Glangwili, said: “I have grave concerns about proposals for stroke services that I feel would lead to real harm.”

He argued Bronglais hospital is best placed to serve as a regional centre of excellence, warning sustainability must not come at the cost of access or quality.

He added: “Bronglais should be viewed as a solution, not a problem.”

Labour’s Joyce Watson, who represents Mid and West Wales, urged the health board to listen to the “immense” strength of feeling, describing the potential for patients to be isolated from their families as “distressing to say the least”.

Jane Dodds, the Welsh Liberal Democrats’ leader who also represents Mid and West Wales, warned stroke remains the fourth largest killer and a leading cause of long-term disability.

“Every minute matters,” she said. “And for people in rural Wales, those minutes can mean the difference between life and death.”

Health secretary Jeremy Miles told the Senedd: “Our aim is to reduce the risk of stroke and, when it happens, to give patients the best possible chance to survive and recover”.

Mr Miles was not convinced by the 17,883-name petition, pointing to an “emerging clinical consensus” that acute stroke care should be provided as a specialist service regionally.

Stressing it is a decision for the health board – not the Welsh Government – he said: “The services in their current configuration are not providing the best outcomes for patients, despite the efforts of NHS staff, and they are not sustainable.”