People who use the health services at Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth are being asked for their views on how support and care for people with, or recovering from, major injuries or major trauma is delivered.

Hywel Dda University Health Board needs to designate a local Trauma Unit to provide care for moderate trauma. The proposal is to designate Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen, in the years leading up to the building of a new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital in the south of the Hywel Dda area.

This is because it is the closest local hospital to meeting national trauma standards with on-site, on-call surgical specialties, access to an emergency medicine consultant and paediatrics 24/7, plus 24/7 staffing for theatres and a dedicated trauma and orthopaedic theatre most days of the week.

Current trauma and emergency services at Bronglais Hospital and Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest, would not be downgraded. They would continue to deal with less severe traumatic injury and keep the ability to stabilise and transfer patients with moderate or severe trauma to Glangwili Hospital, or the Major Trauma Centre, Cardiff.

The health board says it would need to strengthen trauma services at the three hospitals providing trauma care.

Further information and an online survey link are available at www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/TraumaServices until Monday, August 5. Alternatively, a drop-in session will be held on Thursday, July 18, from 3pm to 6pm at Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin, Boulevard de Saint-Brieuc, Aberystwyth.