Photo Credit: Carmarthenshire County Council
The Eastgate Centre and Canolfan Pentre Awel welcomed Jacquline Totterdell, Director General for Health, Care and Prevention Group/NHS Wales Chief Executive, to site on Friday 9 October. The visit highlighted the collaboration and partnership working that is taking place at the Llanelli development.
The visit provided an opportunity to showcase how the Eastgate Centre and Canolfan Pentre Awel is bringing together partners from across health, leisure, education, research and the wider community to help improve and support better health outcomes and promote healthier lives across Carmarthenshire.
During the visit, the NHS Wales Chief Executive met with staff at the Eastgate Centre involved in hospital discharge support, care and repair, Delta Connect, information and advice services, intermediate care, and the Clinical Streaming Hub/Hospital at Home service. Following this, the NHS Wales Chief Executive was given a guided tour of Canolfan Pentre Awel, visiting key facilities and learning more about the innovative services and projects being delivered through key partnership working. The tour included a first look at the community health and research wing of the building, that is currently under construction, where Hywel Dda University Health Board will be operating from early next year.
Dr Neil Wooding, Chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said:
Since it opened, Pentre Awel has demonstrated the value of bringing health, well-being, education, research, sport and leisure services together in one place, making it easier for people to live healthier lives that are well lived. As we continue to deliver on our ambition to bring care closer to where people live, Canolfan Pentre Awel is helping us to provide more services in the heart of our communities. From specialist rehabilitation in the hydrotherapy pool to local blood testing services, people are benefiting from high-quality care closer to home. This achievement reflects the strength of partnership working, and we look forward to seeing further health services move into the community health and research wing, helping us expand the range of care available locally and create more opportunities for the people we serve.
Attendees were able to see first hand the work being done for the local community at Canolfan Pentre Awel, including at the Phlebotomy clinic[RG1.1][FW1.2]. Since June 2026, the Phlebotomy service has seen over 20,000 patients, demonstrating how Canolfan Pentre Awel is already providing accessible healthcare facilities for local residents.
Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, Cllr Linda Evans said:
I was pleased to welcome the NHS Wales Chief Executive to Canolfan Pentre Awel. The visit demonstrates the importance of collaboration in delivering better health and wellbeing outcomes for our communities. By bringing together health, wellbeing, leisure, research and community services in one place, Canolfan Pentre Awel provides an opportunity for partners to work together and develop new ways of supporting people to live healthier, more active lives. We look forward to continuing to build on these partnerships and ensuring that the investment at Pentre Awel delivers lasting benefits for the people of Carmarthenshire and beyond.
Attendees were also able to visit the Hydrotherapy suite at Canolfan Pentre Awel, which provides vital therapeutic water – based treatment to support rehabilitation, pain management, mobility improvement and long-term health conditions. The pool has been purpose built to meet the high clinical standards, featuring warm- water therapy environments, accessible changing areas and specialist equipment. The NHS Wales Chief Executive was able to hear of the hard work of a local charity, the Llanelli Hydrotherapy Pool Committee, who campaigned for such a facility to be built in Llanelli as well as the contribution made by the Elizabeth Williams Endowment Fund. Funding for the Hydrotherapy pool also came from Treat Trust Wales and the Welsh Government.
Jacqueline Totterdell, NHS Wales Chief Executive, said:
It was a pleasure to visit the Eastgate Centre and Canolfan Pentre Awel and see how partners across health, social care, the third sector, local government and education are working together for the people of Carmarthenshire. From hospital discharge support and intermediate care at Eastgate to the hydrotherapy pool and the new community health and research wing at Pentre Awel – it was encouraging to see first-hand the range of services and facilities being developed to support people to live independently and access care closer to home. I look forward to seeing the positive impact these initiatives will have for local communities in the years ahead.
The visit highlighted the continued development of Canolfan Pentre Awel and the important role partnership working will play in maximising the benefits of the facility for local people.
For more information on Canolfan Pentre Awel, please visit the website.
For more information on how you can book Canolfan Pentre Awel’s hydrotherapy pool, please visit the webpage.
For more information about Hywel Dda University Health Board, please visit the website.
