BRONGLAIS Hospital will retain all current services with increased cardiac care services under three preferred options for a “once in a lifetime” health service reorganisation.

Hywel Dda Health Board has revealed its three options for the future of healthcare in the board area with major changes put forward for Glangwili and Withybush hospitals. But there was confirmation that Bronglais Hospital will remain as a district general hospital with a full range of services.

All three options also include a new community hub in Aberystwyth with beds, while there would be community hubs at the Minaeron site in Aberaeron, the Cardigan Integrated Care Centre and Tregaron’s Cylch Caron facility, although none of those three hubs would include beds.

The three options have been produced following a lengthy option appraisal scheme which saw an initial 25 options, which did include suggestions of downgrading Bronglais and the removal of some services, narrowed down after further consideration and an option scoring process.

All three proposals say that Bronglais will continue to deliver all current services, and that it is expected that there will be increased cardiac services, the return of colorectal surgery and that dental and some ENT surgery will take place at the hospital.

The options say: “Bronglais will continue to deliver all emergency and planned care services as per present delivery, with the addition of increased cardiac services.

“There will be 24-hour access to emergency pathways within the hospital including A&E, minors etc and access to ambulatory care and responsive services teams for extended times.

“There will be access to 24-hour consultant led care and beds for urgent care and planned care procedures.

“The new and existing theatres are reconfigured to bring back dental and ENT surgical procedures.”

Under the three options, Withybush Hospital would be downgraded to become a community hospital with a new-build hospital - which would provide both urgent and planned care under two of the options, but only urgent care under the third option - proposed between the current Glangwili and Withybush hospitals.

Option C would see the new build hospital dedicated to providing only urgent care with Glangwili Hospital becoming a dedicated hospital for planned care.