Minister sees benefits of £6.6m investment in health facilities
New medical facilities that have been created thanks to a £6.6 million investment were on show when a health chief visited a town.
Minister for Health and Social Services Vaughan Gething was joined by AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, Kirsty Williams, for a look around Llandrindod Wells Memorial Hospital. The multi-million pound scheme also includes an expanded renal dialysis unit, which is increasing from four stations to six stations, with a dedicated side room to reduce the need for patients to travel to Hereford.
There will also be an integrated day surgery, endoscopy and day ward area to provide more surgical and diagnostic procedures closer to home, a new dental suite to offer modern facilities for community dental services and expanded outpatient facilities and x-ray department to provide a modern patient environment for appointments and scans. The capital investment by Welsh Government is supporting Powys Teaching Health Board to provide more care closer to home, by helping to expand the role of the memorial hospital as the rural regional centre for mid Powys.
The key commitment in the Health and Care Strategy for Powys aims to enable people across the county to “start well, live well and age well”.
During the visit, the minister was able to meet with Minor Injury Unit staff to thank them for their work to support patients with urgent care needs through the winter and throughout the year. Mr Gething said: “I was delighted to see the major improvements in the hospital facilities at Llandrindod Wells Memorial Hospital and to meet the hard-working staff there. The works show how Welsh Government funding is improving community hospitals to provide more services closer to home for people living in rural areas.”
The minister also met with a team of occupational therapists and therapy assistants, who are delivering a trail-blazing Discharge To Recover And Assess programme in Powys. The programme aims to ensure timely discharge from hospital to home, so that assessments of patients’ ongoing needs can be conducted in the best place.
Claire Madsen, director of therapies and health science at Powys Teaching Health Board, said: “Hospital is not always the best place to assess a patient’s ongoing care needs, as they are not in their familiar home environment. Through this programme patients are able to return home promptly from their community hospital stay, with a team of wraparound support so that assessments can take place at home following discharge. The team carries out strength-based assessments and works closely with patient’s families and partner agencies to support people to maintain their independence at home.”
The new team is led by an Occupational Therapist with designated Rehabilitation Assistants providing wraparound support and rehabilitation as required. The Rehab Assistants are multi-professional support workers, and these roles have been funded through the Welsh Government’s “Access to Rehabilitation, Reablement and Recovery” programme.
