#princephiliphospital — Public Fediverse posts

LLANELLI: Prince Philip Hospital becomes first in Wales to offer pioneering cancer diagnosis technique

Prince Philip Hospital has become the first and currently only centre in Wales to offer CryoEBUS — a procedure that combines ultrasound guidance with a freezing technique to collect lymph node tissue samples that are larger and better preserved than those obtained through conventional methods.

The technique, known in full as Cryobiopsy Endobronchial Ultrasound, uses special biopsy needles alongside a freezing process to collect tissue from lymph nodes and, in some cases, lung masses. The improved sample quality makes diagnosis more accurate and is increasingly important for the molecular testing now used to guide newer treatments in lung cancer.

The procedure was introduced at Prince Philip Hospital in November 2025 and is performed under conscious sedation. It integrates into existing bronchoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound pathways, combining two sampling techniques into one streamlined procedure — reducing the need for repeat procedures and supporting earlier treatment planning for more complex cases.

The first procedures were carried out by Dr Robin Ghosal, Clinical Director at Prince Philip Hospital and Consultant Respiratory Physician, working alongside Dr Jonathan Fisher-Black, Consultant Respiratory Physician, and the hospital’s Endoscopy team. Dr Ghosal has completed specialist CryoEBUS training to bring the service to west Wales.

“It’s a very new technology which is gaining momentum and Prince Philip Hospital is the first in Wales to use it and one of only a handful in the whole of the UK,” said Dr Ghosal.

He said the improved diagnostic capability represented a real step forward for patients. “This allows us to obtain significantly improved tissue samples while remaining minimally invasive. This has important implications for diagnostic confidence, particularly in complex lymph node pathology, and supports more efficient progression to treatment decisions.”

CryoEBUS is particularly valuable for diagnosing complex respiratory conditions including lymphoproliferative and granulomatous diseases, where sample size and preservation are critical for accurate analysis.

The procedure uses endobronchial ultrasound guidance alongside specialised biopsy needles and a freezing technique, allowing doctors to get larger and better-preserved samples in a single visit rather than requiring multiple procedures. For patients, that means shorter diagnostic pathways and more timely access to treatment.

The technology is becoming increasingly significant as molecular testing takes on a greater role in guiding newer cancer treatments. Better tissue samples mean better molecular analysis — and better molecular analysis means more targeted and effective care.

Dr Ghosal said the procedure also enhances clinicians’ ability to diagnose conditions beyond cancer, including complex lymph node diseases where sample quality has historically been a limiting factor in reaching a confident diagnosis.

“The procedure integrates an innovative technique into established bronchoscopic and endobronchial ultrasound workflows, offering an advanced less invasive option that can reduce the need for repeat procedures and support earlier treatment planning for more complex cases,” he said.

Hywel Dda University Health Board’s Medical Director, Mr Mark Henwood, said the health board was always looking at innovative ways to improve patient care. “I’m very proud that Prince Philip Hospital is leading the way in which we diagnose respiratory diseases,” he said.

“This just goes to show that you don’t have to live in a big city to have access to the most pioneering and effective health care. Congratulations to Robin and his team for all the hard work and training they have put in to bring the CryoEBUS testing to west Wales.”

The adoption of CryoEBUS at Prince Philip Hospital reflects the continued evolution of respiratory diagnostics across NHS services and reinforces the hospital’s commitment to innovation for patients in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

The service is now available as part of the hospital’s standard diagnostic pathway, meaning eligible patients in west Wales can now access a technique previously only available at a handful of centres across the entire UK.

More from Hywel Dda University Health Board

Norovirus forces ward closures at Prince Philip Hospital as outbreak spreads across region
When a norovirus outbreak hit the Llanelli hospital and spread across the Hywel Dda area.

Glangwili Hospital faces £82m repair backlog as Wales-wide NHS maintenance bill nears £1bn
The scale of the maintenance challenge facing Hywel Dda’s hospital estate.

£2m upgrade begins at Glangwili Hospital to ease pressure on A&E
Investment in west Wales’s hospital infrastructure to improve patient flow.

Hywel Dda to explore more than 100 new ideas for local health services
The health board’s wider drive to innovate and improve services across west Wales.

BLOOD TEST SHUFFLE: Llanelli patients moved AGAIN as services shift to new £60m Pentre Awel site

The move by Hywel Dda University Health Board marks the latest change for locals, who previously saw blood tests controversially shifted to an “out-of-town industrial park” in Dafen from the Antioch Centre in 2024.

That move drew heavy fire from patients at the time, as the Dafen Mass Vaccination Centre is not served by any public bus routes. The Health Board was even forced to offer limited appointments at Prince Philip Hospital specifically for those who relied on public transport and couldn’t reach the industrial estate.

Now, the service is set to find a permanent home at the £60 million Canolfan Pentre Awel, a modern sports and leisure facility that officially opened its doors in October 2025.

The new location is expected to be a relief for many, as it is marginally better served by public transport and sits much closer to the Antioch Centre where tests were originally held before the Dafen “exile.”

The Health Board claims the shift to Pentre Awel will finally offer the improved accessibility, better transport links, and more convenient parking that patients have been demanding.

Canolfan Pentre Awel already boasts a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool, which opened in February 2026, providing therapeutic support for people with various conditions.

The phlebotomy team will initially be based in Block B, sharing space with Research and Innovation services and a range of bookable clinical rooms.

While the Health Board states the move aims to enhance the “patient experience,” for many in Llanelli, it simply means yet another change to navigate for a routine but essential service.

For now, patients are being told to continue booking their blood test appointments at the current Dafen site or Prince Philip Hospital. Appointments can be made online via the existing booking system or by calling the Communications Hub on 0300 303 9642.

The Health Board has confirmed it will release further details regarding the exact opening date at Canolfan Pentre Awel and any changes to appointment arrangements as soon as they are available.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Health Board moves Llanelli blood tests to out-of-town industrial park Initial 2024 relocation that sparked anger over a lack of bus services and its remote location.

Canolfan Pentre Awel opens its doors in Llanelli after years of anticipation A first look at the £60 million facility that is now set to become the permanent home for blood tests.

Welsh Labour’s £4bn election pledge could revive controversial new Whitland or St Clears hospital plan

The commitment was made in the party’s manifesto pledges for the forthcoming Senedd elections, launched by Welsh Labour leader Eluned Morgan in Newport.

The press release states that the new £4bn “Hospitals for the Future Fund” would, over the next 10 years, fund a “hospital development in West Wales” alongside the replacement of the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and the redevelopment of Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

This appears to refer to Hywel Dda University Health Board’s long-standing and controversial proposal for a new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital to be built near St Clears or Whitland in Carmarthenshire.

Those plans would see key services, including accident and emergency, removed from Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, which would be downgraded to community hospitals.

Campaigners and local politicians have repeatedly raised concerns about the impact on residents in areas like Llanelli and Ammanford, who would face significantly longer journeys for emergency treatment.

Last year, Swansea Bay News reported that the new-build plan had been pushed back by at least a decade, with Hywel Dda’s chief executive saying he was making a “strong case” to the Welsh Government for immediate investment in existing sites instead.

The inclusion of a “hospital development in West Wales” in Welsh Labour’s flagship election pledge suggests the new-build plan is now firmly back on the agenda if the party wins the election.

In her speech, Eluned Morgan said: “The NHS is not just a service. It’s a promise. And we need to renew that promise. Not with slogans, but with the biggest investment programme in our history. So, we are committing £4 billion to build the Hospitals of the Future.”

She added: “Patients deserve hospitals fit for modern medicine, not more make-do and mend. Staff deserve a working environment that matches their skill and dedication. And Wales deserves an NHS built for the future, not held together by goodwill alone.”

The health board has previously argued that a new, purpose-built hospital would allow it to meet modern healthcare standards, attract staff, and provide more specialist services than are currently available across its existing sites.

Welsh Labour was contacted for clarification on whether the pledge refers specifically to the Hywel Dda new-build proposal.