Health board members will visit Powys' minor injuries and 'ready to go home units' to see how temporary changes have affected patients and staff.
Health board members will visit Powys' minor injuries and 'ready to go home units' to see how temporary changes have affected patients and staff.
Health board members will visit Powys' minor injuries and 'ready to go home units' to see how temporary changes have affected patients and staff.
The Chairman of Powys Teaching Health Board, Dr Carl Cooper and Vice Chairman Kirsty Williams said they would carry out visits to talk to staff and patients and Katie Blackburn, the chief officer of Llais, the public’s voice on health and social care issues, said they would conduct site visits.
An update on temporary changes to Powys minor injuries units and ‘ready to go home’ units, was provided to health board members at a meeting last week.
Temporary changes to Llandrindod and Brecon minor injury units which now only open from 8am until 8pm and the implementation of ready to go home units in Llanidloes and Bronllys were approved in October 2024 for six months
The minor injury changes went live on November 18 and the ready to go home units started on December 2. At the same time, a strengthened role for Brecon and Newtown to provide community inpatient rehabilitation for a six-month period was introduced.
The board committed to monitoring and evaluating the changes.
The health board’s medical director Kate Wright told a meeting on Wednesday said: “A Temporary Service Change Evaluation and Monitoring Group has been established and the first meeting will take place in February.
“This group is responsible for the active monitoring against the agreed measures, with evaluation and monitoring reported at least monthly through the Strategic Change Programme Board (SCPB). The Evaluation and Monitoring group will ensure that benefits are captured and that any adverse impacts are identified. It will ensure that triggers to consider stop/pause of temporary changes are identified and reported promptly.”
Arrangements are also in place for primary care, third sector and social care feedback on the model, staff experience of those impacted by the changes and patient stories to be collected.
A mitigation plan has also been developed and progress on that will also be monitored and reported.
Ms Wright added: “To note, all mitigations are on track.
“Highlights include a publicity campaign in place via digital channels with regular updates.
“Weekly social media posts advertising opening hours remain in place as part of the publicity campaign.,
“There has been no requirement to raise awareness of short notice closures since the temporary changes were introduced.
“Leaflets and posters have been created for RTGH and rehabilitation units and there is also dedicated web content to provide information about temporary models together with a video from the Executive Director of Nursing.”
She said there had been an improvement in flow and a reduction in out of county delays but a formal evaluation will come at the end of the six month period.
Ms Wright said there were no significant negative impacts to report.
During June 2025 there will be a full evaluation of both changes during the 6-month period and recommendations will be taken to the executive committee and to the board in July.
Members of the board unanimously received the report.
