MORE than 9,000 people have returned questionnaires to health boards across South Wales in response to proposals to shake-up key hospital services in the region.

Consultation on the proposals, which are focused on providing key services - A&E, neonatal, paediatrics and obstetrics - on fewer hospital sites, continues until Friday July 19, though a programme of public meetings in Gwent has now been completed.

Aneurin Bevan Health Board cheif executive Dr Andrew Goodall said last week that the level of public response during the consultation period has been unprecedented in the region, and the questionnaire returns alone could top 10,000 (it currently stands at 9,161) by the end of next week.

People across South Wales have been engaged by proposals in what is called the South Wales Programme, concerning the aforementioned services in Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and the Valleys.

In all four options being considered, the proposed Specialist and Critical Care Centre, earmarked for a site at Llanfrechfa Grange Hospital near Cwmbran, will be one of five hospitals in the region where those services will be concentrated.

This will be instead of the current eight sites regionally, which South Wales health bosses say is unsustainable if standards are to continue to be met.

The programme was launched last autumn but such is its sensitivity - though the Gwent proposals have been on the table for several years already - that this is the second consultation process to have taken place.

Analysis of the consultation responses will be carried out after July 19 and shared with the region's community health councils (CHCs) As independent patients' watchdogs, CHCs, including Aneurin Bevan CHC in Gwent, will be considering the responses and the analysis of them, before formally responding to their respective health boards in September on whether or not they agree with the conclusions.

Disagreements between health boards and CHCs could result in a referral of the proposals to the health minister, though health boards hope to meet in October to decide the way forward.

Anyone wishing to contribute a view can do so through the questionnaire at www.wales.nhs.uk/swp where full details of the proposal are also available.