HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS ATTEND EVENTS TO SHOW OPPOSITION TO PROPOSAL TO CLOSE MEDDYGFA’R SARN, PONTYATES

Over 100 supporters gathered outside Meddygfa’r Sarn for the Cwtsho’r Sarn solidarity event on Tuesday 24^th February. During the afternoon hundreds of residents also attended a drop-in engagement session organised by  Hywel Dda in the nearby hall.

Organisers of the human chain to hug the surgery were delighted with the strong turnout. Supporters held up banners and surrounded the building to show support. They were joined by local councillors and had also received the backing of some Plaid Cymru and Labour Senedd members, who were unable to attend due to the Assisted Dying debate at the Senedd that day.  Adam Price MS posted his support on social media, after a recent visit to the produce market with his colleague, Cefin Campbell, ‘The strength of feeling on this matter was very clear – we must keep local provision within the village.’ Lee Waters MS urged local people to engage with Hywel Dda and pledged to advocate on behalf of patients. ‘Local GP services matter. They’re about access, continuity of care, and supporting the health of the whole community. I’ll continue to raise concerns on your behalf and push for a process that properly reflects the realities people face.’

Throughout the afternoon the Memorial Hall saw a steady stream of worried residents eager to discuss their concerns with Hywel Dda representatives. At times the well organised event was overwhelmed, with residents having to queue outside and take tickets to wait for their opportunity for a round table discussion in small groups. In defence of the proposal to withdraw primary health care from Pontyates, Health Board representatives relied heavily on the argument that a neighbouring GP-run practice was keen to expand its business. In response, residents raised legitimate concerns about the capacity of Coalbrook surgery in Pontyberem to absorb the 3000 patients who would transfer over, citing access issues, limited parking and long waiting times for face-to-face appointments. Long term patient at Meddygfa’r Sarn, Ffani Cattran, 77, who has recently suffered serious health issues which have affected her mobility, felt that concerns about access to services for those without cars were not adequately addressed by the facilitator on her table.  ‘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 went on, ‘This is a deprived area with historic health inequalities from its industrial past. Two of the men on my table were from mining families. One was very worried about how his 92 year old father would access care if Sarn closes. Very ironic given that we were sitting in a hall built by contributions from the Miners’ Levy.’  Other concerns raised were about future proofing and infrastructure given that approved housing developments will see an increase in the size of the village at the same time as cuts to vital services.      

Earlier in the day, two organisers of the Save Our Surgery campaign had given media interviews. When challenged by James Williams of BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on one of the Health Board’s main talking points, the lack of permanent GPs at Sarn, Clare pointed out that locums are also in the majority at the Minafon surgery in Kidwelly where 1000 patients would be transferred if the proposal goes ahead. She also criticised the lack of proactive marketing to attract doctors to Meddygfa’r Sarn and noted that at least two doctors had shown an interest in the practice since hearing of the proposed closure. On Radio Cymru, Jane Nicholas highlighted one of the main weaknesses in the closure proposal, equitable provision of primary care, ‘The Health Board quotes the distance in miles to neighbouring surgeries. but the real challenge is journey times. We are concerned about those who depend on public transport, especially the elderly and disadvantaged groups who will have to catch two buses to see a doctor and face round trips of several hours.’

In recognition of the concern from local people about the viability of the Health Board’s current proposal, on the 25^th February, at a full council meeting of Carmarthenshire County Council, a motion proposed by local councillors was passed. It was agreed that the Council would write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care asking him to ‘set out what steps will be taken to ensure that alternatives to closure are properly considered before any final decision is taken’. Furthermore, the Council will write to the Chair and Chief Executive of Hywel Dda requesting that ‘a Health Impact Assessment and an Equality Impact Assessment relating to any proposed change to services at Meddygfa’r Sarn, and to confirm that no further decisions will be taken before these assessments are published and considered.’  Several other steps were also requested of both parties in respect of the Council’s motion.

Meanwhile, on 2nd March, the campaign’s petition, which has gained approximately 3000 signatures, will be considered by the Petitions Committee of the Senedd. The campaign group will submit detailed written evidence to challenge the case for closure made by the Health Board. Clare Treharne, who prepared the portfolio of evidence, has also urged the Committee to recommend that Hywel Dda delay any decision on closure for at least 12 months, in order for alternative plans to be formulated and properly scrutinised. Now elected representatives and supporters of Meddygfa’r Sarn are urging residents from areas that would be affected by the dispersal of patients to neighbouring surgeries to make their views known to Hywel Dda at their next drop-in event on March 3^rd between 3.00 and 6.00pm at Pontyberem Hall.