The three councillors — Tyssul Evans, Meinir James and Alex Evans — issued a joint statement after an online engagement session held by Hywel Dda earlier this week. They say the meeting raised “deeply troubling” concerns about how the Health Board is handling the eight‑week engagement exercise, which began on 9 February.
According to the councillors, Health Board officials confirmed that the engagement will not consider alternatives to closure and will instead focus solely on the impact that shutting the surgery would have on local communities. They say this makes the process fundamentally flawed.
The councillors also say Hywel Dda admitted it has not attempted to recruit a salaried GP for over a year, and would not commit to making a further attempt before the Board meets in May to decide the surgery’s future.
They claim a senior officer told them that Health Board policies do not require community engagement at all, and that a decision to close the surgery could have been taken at the January Board meeting without any public involvement.
Concerns were also raised about the number and timing of in‑person drop‑in sessions, with councillors saying several affected villages have been excluded and that no evening sessions have been arranged. They say some residents may receive notification only a week before the first session takes place.
In their joint statement, the councillors said the meeting had left them with “no alternative” but to go public.
“Following the answers given and the attitudes displayed by Hywel Dda representatives during the online engagement session held on Monday evening for local councillors, we have lost all confidence in this engagement exercise,” they said.
“Learning that alternatives to closure will not be considered as part of the engagement was, in our view, the final straw. Given that the Health Board has already had to publicly apologise to our communities for how this proposal was first announced, we expected a far greater level of care to be taken to ensure that this process was fair, open and credible.”
They added that while they continue to urge residents to take part in the engagement, they now believe a separate, full public consultation with independent oversight will be required if the future of the surgery is to be decided “fairly and transparently”.
The councillors’ intervention marks a significant escalation in the row over the future of Meddygfa’r Sarn, which serves around 4,300 patients. Swansea Bay News has previously reported on the community backlash, calls for a halt to closure plans, and warnings that dispersing patients across neighbouring practices could leave residents facing long journeys and reduced access to care.
Responding to the councillors comments, Andrew Carruthers, Chief Operating Officer at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said:
“We recognise the vital role that GPs play in supporting the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities, and we understand the strength of feeling locally about Meddygfa’r Sarn.
“We also recognise that some people have raised concerns about trust in the engagement and decision making process. I want to reassure residents, patients and elected representatives that no decision has been reached about the future of the practice.
“At our January meeting, the Board agreed to an eight‑week period of engagement to help us better understand the potential impacts of the Vacant Practice Panel’s recommendation and to hear directly from the communities affected. This approach is in line with Welsh Government guidance on consultation and engagement.
“The recommendation was made by the Vacant Practice Panel because of ongoing challenges in sustaining the practice, including difficulties in securing long‑term clinical cover, and the need to ensure safe, consistent and high‑quality care for patients.”
Mr Carruthers added:
“We welcomed the opportunity to meet with local councillors earlier this week and we value their involvement and challenge as part of this process.
“We know that confidence in engagement is built through listening and openness, and over the coming weeks we are committed to hearing carefully what people tell us, including concerns, experiences and what the potential benefits and impacts could be should Meddygfa’r Sarn’s patients be dispersed to other practices locally.
“We will ensure that the feedback received is fully and fairly considered by the Board at its meeting in May. The purpose of this engagement is to inform our understanding before any decision is taken, and we encourage residents and stakeholders to take part so their voices shape the discussion.”
