Fears people could die as minor injury service cut

Cutting hours at a minor injury unit amid staffing shortages have prompted fears people could die as a result.

The unit at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, will be closed from between 20:00 to 08:00 for six months from 1 November.

Stroke survivor Andrew Bragoli, 62, said he believed his night-time admission helped preserve his quality of life.

Hwyel Dda health board said it understood concerns but it had been unable to suitably fill the 24-hour rota and reduced hours would ensure safety of patients.

Mr Bragoli, who lives in Llanelli, was taken to Prince Philip Hospital by colleagues in the middle of his night shift at Trostre steelworks after he began getting dizzy and bumping into walls.

He added: "They took away the accident and emergency, now they’re looking at taking away the emergency incident unit during the night.

"I was very lucky. If the hospital was further afield, possibly I wouldn't have died, but there's a good chance I wouldn’t be able to speak, to feed myself, to wash and clothe myself."

Earlier this month, the Senedd heard the unit had regularly become nurse-led because doctors were unavailable.

Protestors set up a 24-hour camp outside the hospital, calling on the health board to reconsider.

Jen Caton, who leads charity Llanelli Mind, said she feared people could die if they felt they had nowhere to go.

"Our service users do tend to get more unwell in the evening when they're alone with their thoughts," she said.

"A lot of people won't be able to drive themselves to Carmarthen or Swansea.

"What worries me is people could end up harming themselves, and lives could be lost."

Councillor Deryk Cundy, who is chairman of the Save Our Services Prince Philip Action Network, called the situation "worrying".

"If you have an anaphylactic shock or a heavy bleed, time is of the essence," he said.

The nearest A&E in the area is Carmarthen's Glangwili Hospital, more than 30 minutes away.

As health minister, First Minister Eluned Morgan put Hywel Dda health board into targeted intervention because "challenges" were affecting performance.

Carmarthenshire councillor Sean Rees said he wanted that status escalated to special measures but the Welsh government said this issue was a matter for the health board.

Jon Morris, minor injuries unit clinical lead, said the health board understood the concern, but not having enough doctors overnight "carries risk to our patients and our staff".

He added: "We have tried to recruit more GPs to cover overnight hours at the MIU, but this search has so far proved unsuccessful."

The hospital, he added, would continue to care for people, as would the out-of-hours GP service.

"The acute medical assessment unit provides rapid investigations and treatments 24 hours a day," he added.