A RADICAL health shake-up in West Wales could see the closure of Glangwili and Prince Philip hospitals, according to leaked health board documents.

Hywel Dda University Health Board has announced it is considering wide-ranging changes to service provision, but has not yet made public the options being considered.

However, documents, seen by the Guardian, outline nine options, which include either the potential closure of Glangwili and or Prince Philip or the loss of departments.

One proposes the closure of both Glangwili and Pembrokeshire’s Withybush with a replacement hospital built at an unspecified location while others include what is described as 24/7 urgent care units and community hubs to replace current services.

One sees Glangwili replaced by an urgent care unit and community hubs while another proposes seven 24/7 hubs in West Wales plus urgent care at Glangwili, planned care at Withybush with specialist rehabilitation at Llanelli. A similar option sees the same set up but urgent care at Withybush and planned care at Glangwili.

Another sees Withybush and Prince Philip shut, replaced by seven hubs, and urgent and emergency care at Glangwili. Another sees 24/7 emergency provision at Withybush with Glangwili and Prince Philip replaced with a planned care facilities and hubs.

Releasing details of the consultation last week, a health board statement said: “All potential options, which are clinically-led, consider significant change to the status quo and focus on improving the health of the local population and transferring more hospital services into the community where appropriate. Some consider whether hospitals need to take on different roles, or even need to be replaced.”

Responding to the documents, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr politicians Adam Price AM and Jonathan Edwards MP have said the closure of Glangwili Hospital should be off the table.

In a joint statement the Plaid Cymru politicians said they appreciated the Health Board was still considering options, and that many of those published today may not be presented to the public after full consideration, but they called for the Labour Welsh Government to outline the policy objectives it has given health boards to follow.

Mr Edwards and Mr Price also said the recommendations made by an expert panel just last week on the integration of health and social care services should be properly considered before Hywel Dda Health Board considers any options for local service delivery.

In a joint statement Jonathan Edwards MP and Adam Price AM said: "We appreciate the range of proposals have not been fully considered at this stage, and the health board itself says many won't see the light of day after full consideration.

"That said, we are extremely concerned that closing Glangwili hospital – a proposal which was rejected over a decade ago - is being considered at all.

"We can't see a situation whereby the closure of Glangwili hospital would be appropriate, or something we would ever accept. We fail to understand why, after the centralisation of services from across mid and west Wales to Glangwili, it is now under consideration for closure.

"Furthermore, we think any reconfiguration proposals would be premature when we consider that less than one week ago a host of recommendations were published by an expert panel on the future of integration of health and social services. Surely it would be best to consider and reflect on those before announcing any proposed changes.

"We have heard nothing from the Labour Welsh Government or Welsh Health Secretary on the parameters of service transformation within the NHS. Is the closure of hospitals something which the Labour Welsh Government is actively supporting? What are the policy boundaries in which health boards need to be working?

"We will be keeping a close eye on these proposals as they develop, and intend meeting with health board representatives at the earliest opportunity."