Preseli Pembrokeshire Assembly Member Paul Davies has given a cautious welcome to a stay of execution for Pembrokeshire's Community Health Council (CHC).

Welsh Health Minister Edwina Hart, has announced that instead of merging the local CHC with its counterparts in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, all three should be allowed to develop proposals for working together.

The Health Watchdogs will b expected to staff operating a closer relationship from October.

Mr Davies hopes this means that Pembrokeshire CHC can continue to be a strong voice for patients' rights in West Wales.

"I welcome the fact that the Government is allowing CHCs to come up with their own plans," said Mr Davies.

"As long as the Minister listens to the individual CHCs and allows them to act to best serve the communities they represent then this should be a workable solution.

"I think the strength of feeling against our CHC being merged helped to change Mrs Hart's mind. At the beginning of this consultation period I feared that the mergers were a done deal. I hope that a workable solution in which Pembrokeshire still has a strong voice can now be found."