AN MS has voiced concern over the Welsh Government’s decision to de-escalate motoring of Hywel Dda health board in west Wales.

Cefin Campbell, MS for mid and west Wales, criticised a recent decision by the Welsh Government to de-escalate Hywel Dda Health Board’s status from level 4 to level 3 monitoring, saying that emails he receives from constituents "contradict" the shift.

The point was raised by Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Mid and West Wales, during First Minister's Questions in the Senedd.

Last week, Jeremy Miles announced that Hywel Dda will de-escalated to level 3 monitoring, partly as a result of improvements to mental health services.

Despite the new designation, it was announced only hours later that provision for non-emergency mental health cases would end in the north of Ceredigion.

Mr. Campbell MS said: "There is no doubt what the main issue facing electors in Mid and West Wales is - my inbox is full, every week, with messages from people on waiting lists for all kinds of conditions.

"A large number of these e-mails contradict the good news story that your government is trying to tell. These are the people that must face the board’s failures every day.

"Of course, this is only a microcosm of the wider problem of sky-high waiting lists across Mid and West Wales, and indeed the rest of Wales, too."

In response, the First Minister, Eluned Morgan said: “Things have improved in terms of mental health, that we have been able to see that de-escalation in the health board.

“I know that there is a unique problem in the Ceredigion area at present.

There are many vacancies available—they've gone out and they've failed to appoint to the substantive consultant psychiatrist post.

“So, what they've done is brought a specialist nurse in over the short term.”