Plans to increase maternity capacity at Glangwili Hospital

A health board is working on plans to increase capacity for birthing mothers at a Carmarthen hospital.

Hywel Dda University Health Board is due to submit its proposals for Glangwili Hospital to the Welsh Government in September.

A report last year said the hospital's labour ward was "not fit for purpose" to handle extra births.

Plans include two extra birthing rooms and more space for emergency and planned caesarean sections.

There would also be provision for twin births and water births, a service for bereaved families, a high dependency theatre bay and bigger rooms for parents to stay overnight within the special care baby unit.

More births than before

Following a reorganisation of maternity services in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, the unit in Carmarthen handles more births and the health board has been consulting with staff and families in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

The project's chief executive Steve Moore said: "We have particularly looked at current and projected future demands on these services to ensure we have the optimum space to provide the care that is needed now and into the future."

The September 2015 report, led by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, looked into the impact changes had on patients and staff since more complicated births were moved from Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

It criticised the ward but found the actual care provided had been good.