Health Minister announces multi-million investment in South Wales’s hospitals
The Welsh Government is investing £7m in a new operating theatre and two new scanners at hospitals across South Wales, Heath Minister Vaughan Gething announced today.
£1m will be used to develop an extra operating theatre at the University Hospital in Llandough, as part of a new elective treatment centre at the hospital.
The centre is part of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s clinical services strategy, which involves separating planned care from the theatres used for complex and emergency surgery at the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff.
A further £2.542m is being invested in a replacement MRI scanner at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, and £2.185m in a replacement CT scanner at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.
Both of these investments will help the NHS to deliver timely diagnostic and imaging scanning, which will help to reduce the time patients spend in hospital.
Health Minister, Vaughan Gething said:“The Welsh NHS treats hundreds of thousands of people each and every week so it’s vital we invest in the equipment and infrastructure our healthcare professionals need to ensure they can care for patients using state-of-the-art equipment in the most modern facilities.
“The investment I’m announcing today will allow the NHS to develop services, which benefit patients across South Wales, ensuring the health service can provide timely care and help reduce waiting times.”
Dr. Graham Shortland, Executive Medical Director at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said:“This important investment will allow us to continue to implement our Clinical Services Strategy by developing sustainable services and an infrastructure to deliver high-quality and timely care for patients resident in Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan and wider south Wales.”
Dr. Balan Palaniappan, Clinical Director for Radiology Services at Cwm Taf University Health Board said: “We are delighted with the announcement. Alongside the Diagnostics Hub at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, replacement of the ageing MRI scanner with a state-of-the-art machine at Prince Charles Hospital will provide equitable access to a high quality diagnostics service for the people of Cwm Taf. This will be hugely beneficial, also providing MR imaging support for the excellent cancer diagnostics work that we are currently undertaking in the health board.”
Judith Paget, Chief Executive of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “We are delighted with this important funding that has been announced today from Welsh Government. This will ensure we have a new state-of-the-art CT scanner at the Royal Gwent Hospital to help us to continue providing patients with the highest standard of care in the most timely manner.”
£1.8m investment to redevelop Gower health centres
In related news, two health centres on the Gower will be redeveloped thanks to a £1.8m investment.
The funding will enable Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board to refurbish and redevelop Penclawdd and Murton health centres, providing modern, fit-for-purpose facilities.
The investment in Penclawdd will see a wide range of primary and community services provided from seven fully-modernised, multi-functional clinical rooms.
In Murton, the refurbishment work will involve significant external and internal work, including the refurbishment of four consulting/treatment rooms to comply with current standards.
These changes will result in more sustainable and efficient service provision for people living in the Gower, Swansea. The Penclawdd Centre will also be ready to accommodate additional people who may move into the area – the Swansea Local Development Plan outlines plans for up to 5,000 additional homes in the Gowerton area.
The refurbishments are scheduled to be completed by summer 2019.
Picture (c) Cwm Taf University Health Board.
