New solutions are needed to ensure Bronglais General Hospital fulfils its role as a key part of health services in mid Wales – according to the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care at the University of South Wales.
A new report, commissioned by the Welsh Government to specifically examine NHS services in mid Wales, recommends that the three Local Health Boards of Hywel Dda, Powys and Betsi Cadwaladr form a partnership to better serve the people of mid Wales, including through an agreed and supported vision, which confirms Bronglais will remain an acute centre for specialist care.
A new basis for working with the people of mid Wales also needs to be established after the study found that many felt ‘orphaned’ by local healthcare decisions, and that there was a ‘near-dysfunctional level of mistrust and misunderstanding’ about the health boards’ plans for future healthcare services, particularly in relation to Bronglais General Hospital.
But the study also recognises a new determination on behalf of decision-makers to solve these issues, and fresh thinking in how to go about it.
“People in mid Wales want a health service that delivers high quality, safe and accessible services that are sustainable. I am pleased to be able to say that, in the main, care in mid Wales is still in good health and that patients are not getting second class treatment” said Professor Marcus Longley, Director of the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care, and co-author of the study.
“We believe that Bronglais General Hospital is at the heart of these services, but a more co-ordinated approach between the three health boards covering mid Wales is needed to establish its future strategic role. The future of this hospital has been dogged by uncertainty for too many years, and this now needs to be resolved.
“We’re not talking about re-drawing the LHB boundaries, but we do believe that a formal partnership involving the health boards and other relevant organisations, including the Welsh Government, is needed to make these vital services sustainable.
Primary care and mental health services across mid Wales will also need serious attention if they are to move onto a sustainable footing.
Co-author and Deputy Director of the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care, Dr Mark Llewellyn, said:
“The challenges facing GPs and other community services are significant and require a combined national and local response to resolve.”
“What is encouraging to see is a new determination among health boards and other organsiations to really address these challenges with some fresh thinking and creative ideas.”
The study spent nine months listening to the views of patients, the public and local NHS staff across mid Wales, reviewing the plans of the local health boards, and looking at good practice in rural healthcare across the world. More than 900 people and organisations in total expressed their views to the team.
There are 12 recommendations contained within the report intended to improve understanding and approach at a strategic level while also engaging with communities across the region.
The study will be considered by the Welsh Government.
Comments and links:
- Wales online: Patients feel ‘mistrust’ by plans for future healthcare services in Mid Wales, claims new report
- Welsh Institute for Heath & Social Care
- BBC: ‘Mistrust’ over health care plans in mid Wales
