Aberystwyth’s Bronglais Hospital has “strategic importance” in providing care to trauma patients, despite the centre for south and west Wales being in Cardiff and Hywel Dda’s main unit being in Carmarthen, Hywel Dda Health Board has said.

It was announced last year that Cardiff would be home to the major trauma centre, with Morriston Hospital in Swansea being designated as a support unit.

But that has led to Hywel Dda saying that it would want its proposed new centralised hospital between Carmarthen and Haverfordwest to be the Hywel Dda ‘candidate trauma unit’ and designating the current Glangwili Hospital as the current ‘candidate’ unit.

While that was anticipated, a report that went before the January meeting of the health board said that Bronglais Hospital needed to be recognised for the role it will play in providing care to trauma patients.

The report, by Alison Gittins, the head of corporate and partnership governance, said: “The health board also recognises the strategic importance of Bronglais in providing many important elements of trauma care to the local population, including the need to stabilise and transfer where appropriate.”

However, there were concerns raised over the impact on Bronglais of making Glangwili the interim trauma unit.

The report said: “The Community Health Council raised concerns about the consequence of the decision to designate Glangwili as an interim trauma unit on Bronglais, and suggested statistical mapping should be undertaken to demonstrate more clearly any impact on patient flows.

“The health board acknowledges Hywel Dda CHC’s concerns, and further discussions and engagement will be undertaken to address and resolve these.”

But Ms Gittins said the health board was happy that Glangwili should be the interim ‘candidate’ unit for the health board area.

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition on Wednesday