Llanelli’s Minor Injury Unit faces crunch decision as Health Board weighs future

The unit has been running on reduced hours since November 2024, closing overnight after inspectors warned of safety risks and staff shortages. Campaigners say the community has already lost too many services at Prince Philip Hospital — and fear this could be the thin end of the wedge.

A 12‑week consultation earlier this year drew more than 700 formal responses and a petition of over 10,000 signatures calling for the MIU to be protected. Public meetings were often heated, with residents warning that further downgrading would leave people in Llanelli dangerously exposed.

Deryk Cundy, Chair of the Save Our Services Prince Philip Action Network (SOSPPAN), said:

“The MIU plays a crucial role in supporting the health and wellbeing of people in Llanelli. The strength of feeling was clear from the petition. But we also recognise the old model was unsustainable, with staff under impossible pressure. What we need now is a solution that strengthens services, not strips them away.”

The Health Board says it has listened to the community, with four official options on the table and six more suggested by consultees. But campaigners remain wary, pointing to a long history of service losses in Llanelli.

Mark Henwood, Executive Medical Director, insisted the process had been “thorough and inclusive”:

“We’ve heard a wide range of perspectives and experiences. This rich picture of what matters to people will be put forward to the Board next week.”

Decision day

The crunch meeting takes place on Thursday 25 September, when the Board will decide whether Llanelli keeps a walk‑in MIU in its current form, sees hours cut further, or moves to a new urgent‑care style model.

Until then, the unit remains open daily from 8am to 8pm. Outside those hours, patients are directed to NHS 111 or emergency services.

For many in Llanelli, the decision will be seen as a test of whether the Health Board is serious about protecting local access to urgent care — or whether another vital service is about to be lost.

Related coverage on Llanelli’s MIU

Consultation ends as decision looms over future services

Councillor warns against further service losses in Llanelli

Campaigners take petition to Senedd over downgrading fears

Final days to have your say on MIU consultation

Health Board lays out options for Llanelli MIU

Board agrees temporary overnight closure of MIU

MIU could close overnight due to staff shortages

#HywelDdaNHS #Llanelli #MinorInjuriesUnit #MIU #MIUConsultation #MIUOptions #PrincePhilipHospital

Llanelli’s Minor Injury Unit consultation ends: Decision looms over future services

The long-running public consultation over the future of the Minor Injury Unit (MIU) at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli has officially wrapped. For twelve weeks, the people of Llanelli weighed in on four potential service models — and whether the MIU should continue operating on limited hours or make a return to full-time care.

Launched on 28 April 2025, the consultation drew 729 formal responses and sparked hundreds of conversations through drop-in events, online sessions, and direct meetings with staff and patients. Community groups such as SOSPPAN and Llais helped drive participation, pushing back against fears of a permanent overnight closure.

The MIU has been open daily from 8am to 8pm since November 2024, treating minor injuries like cuts, grazes, sprains, and fractures. But the late-night shutdown has rattled residents — particularly those without easy transport to emergency departments in Swansea or Carmarthen.

“We’ve heard passionate arguments from all sides,” said Mark Henwood, Executive Medical Director. “Now begins a period of conscientious consideration before we present our report in September.”

Health Board options for Llanelli’s Minor Injury Unit

Option 1: 12-hour doctor-led service
Maintain current MIU hours from 8am to 8pm, with no changes to staffing model.

Option 2: Extend to 14-hour service
Expand daily operations to 14 hours if clinical cover allows, improving evening access.

Option 3: Phased return to 24-hour care
Gradual increase from 12 to 14 to 24 hours, depending on workforce recruitment and retention.

Option 4: Urgent Care Centre model
Redesign the MIU into a 14-hour Urgent Care Centre, combining minor injuries with same-day emergency care and diagnostics.

Community-led proposal:
Campaigners have called for a fifth option — full reinstatement of permanent 24-hour Minor Injury Unit services.

Ongoing public concern

Swansea Bay News has chronicled Llanelli’s fight to protect its services, with residents warning that a downgraded MIU risks life-threatening delays. More than 15,000 people signed a petition to the Senedd urging reinstatement of 24-hour access, while elected officials have described the overnight closure as a betrayal of previous health promises.

Councillor Deryk Cundy, chair of SOSPPAN, told Swansea Bay News:

“Over 6,000 people use the unit overnight every year. That’s thousands of moments where swift care made a difference.”

The unit’s staffing pressures sparked widespread scrutiny last year when the Health Board voted to reduce operating hours, with some residents now calling for full restoration — not just partial compromises.

Acute care remains in place

The consultation does not affect the hospital’s Acute Medical Assessment Unit (AMAU), which continues to provide round-the-clock emergency care for seriously ill adults.

One recent patient praised the AMAU’s swift intervention during a breathing emergency: “Staff didn’t hesitate. I walked in, and minutes later I was hooked up and stabilised.”

What comes next?

The Health Board says all community feedback — including alternative suggestions — will be analysed before a final recommendation goes to its public September Board meeting. Until then, walk-in care at the MIU continues between 8am and 8pm, with NHS 111 and 999 services available for overnight needs.

Related articles

Final days to have your say on future of Llanelli’s Minor Injury Unit
A last-minute reminder urging residents to submit feedback before the public consultation closed.

Board agrees temporary overnight closure of Minor Injury Unit in Llanelli
Background on the Health Board’s original decision to reduce MIU hours in November 2024.

Prince Philip Hospital campaigners take petition to Senedd
Coverage of SOSPPAN’s campaign to restore full MIU services, supported by thousands of signatures.

Councillor warns against further service losses in Llanelli
Cllr Deryk Cundy voices fears over long-term erosion of healthcare provision in the town.

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