A FORMER paramedic has warned there will "not be enough graves" in Llanelli if plans to close Prince Philip Hospital's A&E unit go ahead.
Robert Evans, of Felinfoel, worked as a paramedic in Llanelli for more than 20 years and can recall many incidents where patients "would have died" if they had not been able to go to the town's A&E
Proposals to further cut the current A&E service — which is not 24-hour — are included in all three options put forward by Hywel Dda Health Board as part of their clinical services strategy.
Mr Evans, 50, said: "I can remember jobs in this town where people have been saved by getting to A&E quickly.
Ambulance
"A bus went over in Llwynhendy and there was a gentleman who had ruptured his spleen.
"When we got him to hospital the doctors were on the front door step waiting for our ambulance.
"That was within three or four minutes — if there had not been Prince Philip he would have died."
Mr Evans also recalled a house fire, in which a young girl lost her mother and sisters.
"We took her to Prince Philip with 96 per cent burns," he said.
"That was one little girl surviving and now she has five children — a whole family."
Mr Evans said he could "write a book" with examples of incidents he has been involved with in which he believes patients could have died without Prince Philip Hospital's A&E.
"People don't realise that even if they don't have certain specialist services they can stabilise people," he said.
"Children have gone in with medical conditions and then helicopters land in Bryngwyn School to transport them to specialist hospitals.
"Prince Philip are able to stabilise them.
"Even Glangwili can't cope with some specific injuries — they get transported by helicopter."
And he said the consequences could be dire if the proposals go ahead.
"It will start filling the Box cemetery up," he said. "That's not nice but that's the truth of it.
"I used to be a councillor in Felinfoel, I've been in politics, but now I'm saying forget all the politics.
"We haven't got enough boxes to fill for people if the A&E at Prince Philip closes.
"What they are doing now is going to start filling up the cemeteries.
"Start opening the fields – that's how detrimental it is."
