HEALTH chiefs will meet this week to decide on the future of major hospital services that residents across South Powys are dependant on.

Proposals to centralise the most serious hospital services in a network of five hospitals across South Wales were subject to a public consultation over this summer.

Powys teaching Health Board (tHB) will meet at the Basil Webb Hall at Bronllys Hospital at 11am on Thursday, December 12 to discuss its response to the proposals.

Health boards in Cardiff, Swansea, Gwent and the South Wales Valleys, which are responsible for running the affected hospitals, will be meeting at the same time to discuss their responses.

Though Powys tHB doesn't provide any of the services affected it relies on sending patients from South Powys to major out of county hospitals for treatment.

The proposals will also see accident and emergency care centralised, with Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil the likely future destination for most A&E admissions locally. The most serious A&E care would be provided at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales.

A Powys tHB spokesman said: "Board meetings are held in public and members of the public are invited to attend and observe."

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