The latest delay in the opening of the much needed new Renal Unit at Withybush Hospital has been met with fierce criticism from local Assembly Member, Paul Davies. Building work for the new £7.8 million unit was completed earlier this year, and since then the brand new building has been lying empty.
The Welsh Renal Network that led this project have blamed changes to the original legal contract for the tender, and now it is understood that the earliest the unit could be operational is mid-September.
Commenting on the matter, local AM Paul Davies said “I am angry at these continuing delays in the opening of this facility. My office has been in contact with the Welsh Renal Network over a period of months and I have been advised of one delay after another. To have the building lying empty for at least six months and possibly more is totally unacceptable. I have had a number of constituents contact me to express their anger that they have to continue travelling to Carmarthen for their dialysis, sometimes leaving Pembrokeshire very early in the morning, literally passing the door of the empty building.”
Mr Davies added “The Minister for Health and Social Services said in the Senedd in May that he was confident that the facility would open in July. Sadly, his confidence has been unfounded and these on-going delays have continued. I have now written to the Minister to highlight this continuing shambles and to ask him to take the necessary action to allow this unit to finally open. I have also asked the Minister to carry out a thorough review into what has gone so badly wrong with this tendering process so that lessons can be learnt for future projects.”
