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.
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