BRONGLAIS Hospital is in danger of being downgraded to become a rural hospital without services including a full A&E department, it has emerged this week.

A secret health board report includes an option to downgrade Bronglais and close Withybush Hospital in favour of a new ‘super hospital’ in Carmarthen.

The health board has refused to publicly release any of the options, but rushed out a statement saying it was considering a range of options which were being “discussed, tested and narrowed down” amid claims the plan and options in it had been leaked.

The health board says options include looking at whether hospitals “need to take on different roles, or even need to be replaced”, as well as other suggestions such as providing more services in the community instead of hospitals.

The board has claimed that some of the options currently being considered will be abandoned before a public consultation in the spring.

But Ceredigion AM Elin Jones and MP Ben Lake have said any suggestion to downgrade Bronglais should never have been considered at all.

Ms Jones said: “The case for a full district general hospital in Aberystwyth has been accepted time after time.

“The distances involved in securing emergency treatment over a wide area served by Bronglais mean that no other option than a full A&E with related in-hospital services is possible."

Mr Lake said: “The speculation that the options under consideration by the health board includes the downgrading of Bronglais will inevitably cause uncertainty for both staff and the wider community served by the hospital.

“The health board must move quickly to dismiss such an option, and reassure the communities of mid and west Wales who will rightly be concerned.

“Constituents regularly and rightly praise the work of the staff at Bronglais, and it is essential that the hospital retains its full range of services for this rural area.”

Medical director Dr Philip Kloer said changes to the health service were required and that would need to look at the role of hospitals.

He said: “We need to develop more proactive, resilient and better resourced local community services to support and improve people’s health and wellbeing, and avoid deterioration where possible."

He added: “The options may propose change to a local hospital; however this is about more than the buildings.

“This is about investing in our communities, attracting doctors, nurses and therapists by operating a modern healthcare system and keeping hospitals for those who really need hospital care.”See this week's south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition tomorrow