Llanelli town councillors will vote this week on a motion demanding a dedicated full-time nurse for the town’s special school.
The motion, to be debated at Wednesday’s full council meeting, calls on Carmarthenshire County Council to secure the immediate appointment of a registered nurse based permanently at Ysgol Heol Goffa.
It is the latest development in a long-running campaign over nursing provision at the school, which Swansea Bay News has reported on since February.
The school caters for children with some of the most profound and complex medical needs, and campaigners say teachers and support staff are regularly left administering emergency medicine, tube feeding and seizure monitoring.
The motion has been brought by Lliedi councillor Shaun Greaney, a former governor of the school, and seconded by Labour group leader councillor David Darkin.
Councillor Greaney said parents had told him the authorities were taking unacceptable risks with their children’s safety.
He described the situation as a scandal that could have terrible consequences, and said staff at the school were doing their best but were not medically trained to the standard the children needed.
He said headteacher Ceri Hopkins had been campaigning for five years for a nurse to be based at the school, and warned against further “dilly-dallying” on what he called an inordinate delay.
The motion states that an Estyn recommendation in January, the intervention of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, and the concerns of Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith all require a clear and time-bound response from Hywel Dda University Health Board.
It also asks for a clear update on what the health board intends to do, and when.
Councillor Greaney said the issue was about protecting children and their wellbeing rather than party politics, and urged councillors of all parties to back the school’s plea.
Councillor Darkin said the case for a dedicated, full-time nurse on site was clear, and described the situation as an injustice facing the school community.
The Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Rocio Cifuentes, intervened in the case in February, writing to Hywel Dda University Health Board to seek a meeting and pointing to the Estyn report’s finding that a dedicated school nurse was needed.
The health board has previously said it provides a dedicated school nurse to meet pupils’ universal health needs, and offers training to school staff.
Campaigners argue that this falls short of what is required for children with complex, life-limiting conditions, who they say need a permanent, on-site nurse.
A separate, long-running effort to replace the ageing school buildings has also been moving forward, with a new £35m Ysgol Heol Goffa due to open in 2029.
The motion will be debated at the full meeting of Llanelli Town Council on Wednesday.
