PONTYATES SURGERY: Senedd candidate Carl Peters-Bond joins campaign to save Meddygfa’r Sarn as pressure on health board mounts

Independent Senedd candidate and Kidwelly Town Mayor Carl Peters-Bond has publicly backed the campaign to save Meddygfa’r Sarn in Pontyates, joining a growing list of political figures demanding that Hywel Dda University Health Board halt its closure plans.

Peters-Bond, who is standing as the Sir Gaerfyrddin and Kidwelly constituency candidate at the upcoming Senedd election, is himself a patient at the surgery. He met with campaign co-ordinator Clare Treharne outside the practice to hear residents’ concerns and discuss the growing frustration with the process being led by the health board.

He said the surgery was far more than a building to the people who relied on it. “Pontyates Surgery is not just a building — it is a lifeline. For many residents, especially older people and those without transport, losing this surgery would mean losing access to basic healthcare. That is simply unacceptable,” he said.

Peters-Bond said he had been struck by the strength of feeling among patients and campaigners. “I’ve spoken to patients, campaigners and local councillors. The message is the same every time: people feel ignored, sidelined and worn down by a process that seems designed to reach a predetermined outcome. This community deserves better,” he said.

The campaign to save Meddygfa’r Sarn has gathered considerable momentum in recent months. Hundreds of residents have attended protest events, a petition has passed 1,000 signatures, a human chain was formed around the building, and campaigners have lodged a formal complaint about the way the consultation process has been handled. Local councillors have repeatedly said they have lost confidence in the health board’s approach.

Peters-Bond warned that closure would have knock-on consequences across the wider rural healthcare system. Patients dispersed to other practices would pile pressure onto already overstretched surgeries, travel times for appointments would increase sharply for those without cars, and vulnerable residents would face new barriers to accessing even routine care.

He said the pattern of rural communities losing services first was one that had to end. “Rural communities like Pontyates are always the first to lose services and the last to see investment. This pattern has to end. Healthcare should be based on need, not postcode,” he said.

He is calling on Hywel Dda University Health Board to halt the closure process, publish transparent evidence for any proposed changes, engage meaningfully with residents and campaigners, and commit to maintaining GP provision in Pontyates.

“People have lost trust in this process — and with good reason. The health board must reset its approach, listen to the community and guarantee that GP services will remain in Pontyates,” Peters-Bond said.

Hywel Dda University Health Board has not yet responded to the latest calls for the process to be paused.

Swansea Bay News coverage of the Pontyates Surgery campaign

Campaigners lodge formal complaint over Pontyates GP surgery closure plans
How residents escalated their concerns after losing confidence in the health board’s process.

Hundreds protest to save Pontyates GP surgery as council demands action
The human chain, the packed public meetings and the growing political pressure.

Health board to hold extra public meeting on Pontyates GP surgery closure plans
How the health board responded to the campaign — and why campaigners remained unconvinced.

Council demands action on Pontyates surgery closure as councillors warn of ‘predetermined outcome’
The full story of the council motion and the accusations against the health board.

BLOOD TEST SHUFFLE: Llanelli patients moved AGAIN as services shift to new £60m Pentre Awel site

The move by Hywel Dda University Health Board marks the latest change for locals, who previously saw blood tests controversially shifted to an “out-of-town industrial park” in Dafen from the Antioch Centre in 2024.

That move drew heavy fire from patients at the time, as the Dafen Mass Vaccination Centre is not served by any public bus routes. The Health Board was even forced to offer limited appointments at Prince Philip Hospital specifically for those who relied on public transport and couldn’t reach the industrial estate.

Now, the service is set to find a permanent home at the £60 million Canolfan Pentre Awel, a modern sports and leisure facility that officially opened its doors in October 2025.

The new location is expected to be a relief for many, as it is marginally better served by public transport and sits much closer to the Antioch Centre where tests were originally held before the Dafen “exile.”

The Health Board claims the shift to Pentre Awel will finally offer the improved accessibility, better transport links, and more convenient parking that patients have been demanding.

Canolfan Pentre Awel already boasts a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool, which opened in February 2026, providing therapeutic support for people with various conditions.

The phlebotomy team will initially be based in Block B, sharing space with Research and Innovation services and a range of bookable clinical rooms.

While the Health Board states the move aims to enhance the “patient experience,” for many in Llanelli, it simply means yet another change to navigate for a routine but essential service.

For now, patients are being told to continue booking their blood test appointments at the current Dafen site or Prince Philip Hospital. Appointments can be made online via the existing booking system or by calling the Communications Hub on 0300 303 9642.

The Health Board has confirmed it will release further details regarding the exact opening date at Canolfan Pentre Awel and any changes to appointment arrangements as soon as they are available.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Health Board moves Llanelli blood tests to out-of-town industrial park Initial 2024 relocation that sparked anger over a lack of bus services and its remote location.

Canolfan Pentre Awel opens its doors in Llanelli after years of anticipation A first look at the £60 million facility that is now set to become the permanent home for blood tests.

Hundreds protest to save Pontyates GP surgery as council demands action

Over 100 supporters formed a human chain around the surgery on Tuesday, 24th February, in a ‘Cwtsho’r Sarn’ solidarity event designed to show the strength of feeling in the community against the closure plans. The protest came as Hywel Dda University Health Board held a drop-in engagement session in the nearby Memorial Hall, which saw hundreds of worried residents attend to voice their concerns.

Hywel Dda is currently holding an eight-week consultation on the future of the surgery, with its preferred option being to disperse the practice’s 3,000 patients to other surgeries in the area.

Organisers of the human chain, which had been planned as a highly visual show of solidarity, said they were delighted with the strong turnout. They were joined by local councillors and received backing from Senedd members including Adam Price and Cefin Campbell.

Llanelli MS Lee Waters, who has previously raised the alarm over the surgery’s future, pledged to continue advocating on behalf of patients. He said: “Local GP services matter. They’re about access, continuity of care, and supporting the health of the whole community.”

At the engagement event, residents raised concerns about the capacity of the neighbouring Coalbrook surgery in Pontyberem to absorb the extra patients, citing access issues, limited parking, and long waiting times.

Long-term patient Ffani Cattran, 77, felt that concerns about transport for those without cars were not adequately addressed. “They haven’t taken on board the transport issues and are assuming that people will be able to get lifts, which is neither fair nor reasonable,” she said. “This is a deprived area with historic health inequalities from its industrial past.”

The protests follow a decision by Carmarthenshire County Council on 25th February to demand action from the Health Board. The council passed a motion to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, asking for alternatives to closure to be properly considered. The council will also write to Hywel Dda’s Chair and Chief Executive to request that a Health Impact Assessment and an Equality Impact Assessment are published and considered before any final decision is made.

The campaign’s petition to save the surgery, which has gathered approximately 3,000 signatures, is set to be considered by the Senedd’s Petitions Committee on 2nd March.

Cancer centre’s pioneering research boosted with six-figure investment

The South West Wales Cancer Centre, or SWWCC, at Singleton Hospital has a proud track record of taking part in innovative trials which have been game-changers in terms of treatments.

Now it has been awarded a share of the £300 million investment from the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicine Pricing, Access and Growth.

Known as VPAG, this is an agreement between the four UK nations and the pharmaceutical industry, expanding the UK’s capacity and capability to support commercial clinical trial delivery.  

The SWWCC, which treats patients from the Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda health board areas, has been awarded £466,156.

The centre undertakes non-commercial and commercial studies, with a dedicated clinical trials suite next to its Chemotherapy Day Unit, or CDU.

One of the many trials it has been involved with was Checkmate 067, a global study which has transformed the management of metastatic melanoma – skin cancer that has spread. 

It was undertaken at 137 centres worldwide, with Swansea the fifth highest recruiter.

However, the size of the clinical trial pharmacy team, which supports all trials, not just those involving cancer, did not expand to keep up with the significant increase in the number of trials.

A pharmacist vacancy within the team significantly impacted oncology trial capacity at the cancer centre.

However, VPAG funding presented an opportunity to stabilise and grow the pharmacy clinical trials team, safeguarding current studies and unlocking future commercial trial delivery.

So, discussions to develop an application were held with health board Associate Medical Director for R&D, Prof Steve Bain (pictured), the R&D team and Dr Leighton Phillips, Director of Research, Innovation and Value in Hywel Dda University Health Board

.

Dr Sarah Gwynne, consultant clinical oncologist and SWWCC research lead, then led the successful investment application on behalf of the cancer centre.

The investment will pay for a new principal pharmacist to support all trials taking place in Singleton and the neighbouring Joint Research Facility run by Swansea Bay UHB and Swansea University.

It includes strategic oversight for ensuring long term capacity to deliver increasingly complex clinical trials. The new post will sit within the R&D department and will be part of the R&D Senior Management Team.

It will also pay for a dedicated pharmacy technician, with both roles seen as essential to supporting future activity and growth.

Additionally, the funding will provide for medical leadership, to help identify potential trials and provide support to the teams in getting them set up, as well as the appointment of a part-time nurse.

The latter will act as a liaison between research nurses and chemotherapy nurses, and to support delivery of trial treatments in the CDU.

Professor Bain said: “This is an excellent use of the VPAG monies and exactly what  UK Government and the pharmaceutical companies which fund the scheme envisaged – bottlenecks in R&D activity being addressed with targeted funding, rapidly delivered.

“I hope and envisage that many such focussed initiatives will follow across Wales.”

Swansea Bay is part of the Commercial Research Delivery Wales infrastructure.

National Director of Support and Delivery, Dr Nicola Williams said:

“Research is integral to improving patient care and outcomes.

“This focus from UK Government shows the impact research has, not only on patients, but the NHS and our economy.

“This significant investment will enhance our capacity to conduct commercial clinical research and also ensure that Wales remains at the forefront of medical innovation. 

“We look forward to working together with NHS organisations as they continue to deliver truly life-changing research on our doorstep.”

[Lead image: Swansea Bay University Health Board]

#HywelDda #SouthWalesCancerCentre #SwanseaBayNHS

£14 million Singleton Hospital development to transform cancer diagnoses

New home for PET‑CT scanning

Since 2020, highly specialised PET‑CT scanning has been available at Singleton, sparing patients in the Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda health board areas from travelling to Cardiff.

A PET‑CT scan combines computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) to provide highly detailed images. It can detect cancers and other diseases that may not appear on other scans, assess the size and spread of tumours, and show how well treatment is working.

Until now, the service has been delivered from a mobile unit, limiting the range of scans and the number of days it can operate.

Expanded services and seven‑day scanning

The new purpose‑built facility, funded by the Welsh Government as part of its all‑Wales PET‑CT programme, will allow Singleton to expand its services significantly.

Professor Neil Hartman, Swansea Bay’s Head of Nuclear Medicine, said:

“For the first time we will be able to do paediatric PET scanning. We will be able to do scanning under general anaesthetic, and brain scanning, which we are not able to do at the moment. And we will be able to do seven‑day‑a‑week scanning if we so wish.”

Part of a national programme

The Welsh Government’s PET‑CT programme aims to establish four static scanners across Wales within the next decade — in Swansea, Velindre, North Wales, and a fourth location yet to be confirmed.

Construction at Singleton, led by contractor Tilbury Douglas, is expected to be completed by autumn 2026. Equipment installation will follow, with the first patients due to be scanned in early 2027.

Designed with patients in mind

The new building, located at the north end of the hospital site, will include six uptake rooms for patient preparation, a general anaesthesia room, and dedicated waiting and post‑screening areas. It has been carefully designed to avoid disrupting existing services and to protect established trees on the site.

Christine Morrell, Swansea Bay’s Director of Allied Health Professionals and Health Science, said:

“Our capacity and capability on the mobile unit were not giving us what we needed in terms of the population. We are looking forward to it being built and to being able to expand our services.”

‘Much‑needed development’

Swansea Bay University Health Board Chair, Jan Williams, said she and Hywel Dda Chair Neil Wooding were delighted to see work begin:

“This is an exciting development which is much needed for the population of South West Wales. It will give the expert staff who provide such excellent care the opportunity to enhance their service even further.”

Related cancer care stories

Hundreds of men involved in game‑changing Swansea prostate cancer trial
A pioneering trial in Swansea is giving men access to cutting‑edge treatment and transforming outcomes for prostate cancer patients.

Women’s touch rugby tournament scores big in aid of Swansea Bay’s Cancer Centre
Local teams came together on the pitch to raise vital funds for cancer services, combining sport, community spirit and charity.

Sisters step up to thank cancer centre that cared for their dad
Two sisters took on a fundraising challenge to show gratitude to Swansea Bay’s Cancer Centre for the care given to their father.

Pontardawe cancer survivor joins innovative follow‑up care trial
A survivor from Pontardawe is helping to shape a new approach to follow‑up care, designed to improve quality of life after treatment.

Jiffy’s Cancer 50 Challenge raises thousands for cancer care in South Wales
Rugby legend Jonathan ‘Jiffy’ Davies led cyclists on a 50‑mile challenge, raising significant funds for cancer services across the region.

Lord Mayor thanks Swansea for backing £200k cancer appeal
Swansea’s Lord Mayor praised the generosity of shoppers and traders after a city market appeal smashed its £200,000 target for cancer care.

#Cancer #cancerDiagnosis #ChristineMorrell #DannyFlynn #groundbreaking #HywelDda #JanWilliams #NeilHartman #NHSWales #PETCT #SingletonHospital #Swansea #SwanseaBayUniversityHealthBoard #WelshGovernment

Hywel Dda launches new strategy to expand clinical research and innovation

Hywel Dda University Health Board has unveiled a new five-year strategy to accelerate the development of innovative medicines and treatments, with a focus on improving health outcomes and economic growth across west Wales.

The Research and Innovation Strategic Plan, launched on 21 July, sets out a roadmap to expand clinical trials, deepen partnerships with universities and industry, and embed innovation across key areas including cancer care, respiratory disease, women’s health, digital health, and primary care.

“We’ve made significant progress over the past four years,” said Professor Leighton Phillips, Director of Research, Innovation and Value at Hywel Dda. “Now is the time to build on those achievements and make the most of favourable policy and funding opportunities in Wales and the UK.”

The health board now operates designated research facilities in every county, supported by a growing network of clinical researchers and the TriTech Institute, which provides innovation and evaluation capabilities.

A major focus of the strategy is expanding access to commercial clinical trials, which offer patients early access to promising new treatments. Professor Keir Lewis, clinical lead for respiratory medicine at Prince Philip Hospital, said global trials funded by pharmaceutical companies are already benefiting local patients.

“We’re enrolling patients in trials for inhalers and antibiotics — and if successful, these treatments could become standard care within five to ten years,” said Lewis.

One such patient is Jim Carroll, 64, originally from Brynaman and now living in Swansea. Diagnosed with COPD, Jim took part in a clinical trial at Prince Philip Hospital and now uses an inhaler developed through the study.

“It’s made a big difference — I can pick up my granddaughters from school and be active in their lives,” he said.

Beyond patient benefits, the strategy highlights the wider impact of research on staff development, job creation, and regional economic growth. Professor Phillips said organisations with strong research cultures attract and retain top talent, and help drive innovation across the NHS.

“We’ll be strengthening our partnerships with universities, public bodies, community organisations and industry to deliver on this vision,” he added.

More information on Hywel Dda’s Research and Innovation Strategic Plan is available via the health board’s publications page.

#Brynamman #cancerCare #clinicalResearch #COPD #digitalHealth #HywelDda #primaryCare #PrincePhilipHospital #respiratoryDisease #Swansea #womenSHealth