The hospital is undergoing refurbishment

Several patients at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest were housed temporarily in the vehicles when the accident and emergency unit ran out of room.

There has been local concern about wards closures as part of a refurbishment scheme.

Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust said ambulances were used on one occasion.

The area's community health council said it had been "concerned for a long time" about the situation at the hospital, where wards are closed as part of a refurbishment scheme.

Ambulances were used on one occasion due to a significant beds crisis Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust

Chief executive Ashley Warlow said there was little point in ambulances racing to hospital if all they did was park up with the patients still on board.

Mr Warlow said the health council decided to monitor the situation for themselves.

On one day five out of the six strong fleet of ambulances were parked outside the accident and emergency department while staff struggled to find beds for those on board, he said.

A spokesman for Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust confirmed that an influx of patients had caused problems.

'Steady improvement'

"Ambulances were used on one occasion due to a significant beds crisis," he said.

"That night there was an abnormal level of A & E admissions.

"The ward closures are due to a planned refurbishment programme in which one ward is taken out of service at a time.

"The hospital is proud that it still sees 96% of patients within four hours."

The spokesman could not say exactly how many of the vehicles were used as beds.

"Mr Warlow refers to one occasion when five ambulances were waiting outside the hospital," he said.

"We have seen a steady improvement in our A and E waiting times over the first quarter of the financial year with 96% of patients being seen, treated and either admitted or discharged within four hours."