Board approves next phase of consultation on stroke services

This forms part of the wider Clinical Services Plan that the Health Board engaged upon in summer 2025, which aims to address fragilities in nine key hospital services and ensure care is safe, sustainable, accessible, and kind.

At an Extraordinary Board meeting in February 2026, the Health Board made decisions about eight of the services. However, no final decision was made about stroke services. Stroke services in Hywel Dda do not consistently meet national clinical standards and are spread across four hospital sites with no specialist stroke cover available seven days a week. This can impact outcomes and recovery for stroke patients.

Board members agreed that further work and engagement was needed before deciding on a future model.

Since then, additional work has been undertaken to develop and test a preferred option for stroke services.

The preferred option brings together elements of two alternative proposals (Option 106 and Option 210) that were put forward by communities during the first phase of consultation in summer 2025.

The preferred option includes:

A 24-hour acute stroke and rehabilitation unit at Glangwili Hospital

A stroke rehabilitation unit at Bronglais Hospital

Treat and transfer services at Bronglais, Prince Philip and Withybush hospitals, with patients transferred to Glangwili Hospital or a specialist thrombectomy centre where appropriate

The Board heard that the proposal has been assessed to the same level of detail as the previously considered options, meets the required criteria, and has received support from clinical and operational representatives. As a result, the Board agreed to proceed to a second phase of consultation, specifically on stroke services.

The second phase of consultation will run for eight weeks from today (28 May) until 26 July 2026.

During this time, people will be asked whether they support the preferred option and why. They will also be able to comment on the other options previously considered by Board, Option A and Option B and the two alternative options - Option 106 and Option 210 put forward by communities. This second phase of consultation will also seek feedback on anything else that should be considered, including any potential impacts on equality or the Welsh language.

Dr Neil Wooding, Chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “Today’s decision means we can now return to our communities to ask their views on a preferred option. The option was developed using suggestions put forward by our communities in the first place. This is an important step before any final decision on stroke services is made.

“As a Board, we are committed to working together to ensure we provide the best possible care for our patients, including the best outcomes for people who suffer a stroke. Change can be challenging, but we must adapt to ensure our services meet stroke standards and enable people to have the best possible recovery from this life-altering condition.”

A wide range of engagement opportunities will be offered to make it as easy as possible for people to take part.

These include public drop-in events, online sessions, community outreach, hospital site visits, staff briefings and targeted engagement with community groups. Information will also be available in a variety of accessible formats and different languages to ensure as many people as possible can share their views.

Mark Henwood, Executive Medical Director, said: “We know how important stroke services are to the people we serve and to our staff. This second phase of consultation represents an important stage in shaping the future of stroke services across Hywel Dda.

“I encourage everyone to get involved - whether by completing the questionnaire or attending one of our events. Your experiences and feedback will play a vital role in helping us make well-informed decisions to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients.”

The Health Board will carefully consider all feedback from both phases of the consultation, alongside supporting evidence, data, clinical advice and impact assessments before making a final decision later this year.

Information about the second phase of the consultation, including event details, the questionnaire and documents in accessible formats and languages, is available on the Health Board’s dedicated consultation webpages: https://hduhb.nhs.wales/stroke-consultation/