Health

Hywel Dda to engage on Tregaron Community Hospital beds

Published

2 years ago

July 22, 2024

HYWEL DDA University Health Board is inviting members of the public to share their views about the potential of decommissioning the nine beds currently at Tregaron Community Hospital.

The proposal for a new model of care, which is part of the broader Cylch Caron project, will see the move of care from the hospital to people’s own homes enabled through a different model of support. This can only be achieved by staff working in different ways, focused on keeping people well at home, and with more available to help people in the community.

Peter Skitt, County Director Ceredigion at Hywel Dda University Health Board explains: “Members of our local community will be familiar with our vision, which includes the development of the Cylch Caron model of care that includes an integrated resource centre.”

Dr Sion James, Deputy Medical Director Primary Care and local GP for Tregaron, adds: “Tregaron Hospital has been a part of our local community for a number of years, and we need to provide our community with a range of services that meets their current and future needs.

“The Centre is an exciting and unique project that aims to offer many opportunities and benefits for people in the area. This will bring together a range of services in a central hub for the Tregaron and surrounding rural areas. The project will create an innovative rural model of community-based care to meet care, health and housing need in the area, which is fit for today and sustainable for tomorrow.”

The Cylch Caron scheme is being developed in partnership between Ceredigion County Council, Hywel Dda University Health Board and the Welsh Government. It will consist of a GP surgery, community pharmacy, outpatient clinics and community nursing and social care facilities, as well as extra care flats and integrated health and social care units.

Ceredigion County Council recently announced that they are inviting companies to tender for the design and build of the new fully-integrated health, social care and housing centre.

Peter adds: “While we develop our Cylch Caron scheme, we also need to consider our current model of care for patients at Tregaron Hospital. Despite efforts to recruit to positions, our current level of staffing is insufficient, and our staffing rotas are fragile. Our staff have voiced how challenging it is to support our patients through our current model of care at Tregaron Hospital. Our proposal is to move our staff from being hospital based and looking after the nine beds, to being community based. This will enable us to support more patients in their homes.

The Cylch Caron model of care is focused on providing more community nursing and enhanced care in people’s own homes. This would be achieved through outreach nursing and increased provision of same day urgent care. Outpatient appointments will continue to be provided from Tregaron Hospital and the building will serve as a hub for our staff until the new Cylch Caron Integrated Resource Centre is built.

Peter continues: “We know that being close to home, or in their home, is important for our patients. We want to increase the opportunity for people in Ceredigion to be able to stay well for longer, with the support of enhanced staffing in their own homes.

“At the moment, the patients in our care at Tregaron hospital live more than ten miles away from the hospital, and most are medically fit. And this has been common for a long time. Our proposal to move our staff to focus on advanced care in people’s homes provides a different way of supporting our patients. It will enable us to deliver our community care model quicker and support more people in our communities.

“Patients have consistently shared that they would prefer to be at home, or closer to home, and this tends to enable their recovery. We will work with our patients and their families, and our broader community, to understand their views during the planned period of engagement.”

The proposal to decommission the nine beds and the engagement period will be discussed at the Board meeting held on 25 July. The four-week period of engagement will launch on 1 August and run until 29 August 2024. Individuals will be able to attend online and in-person events and be able to share their views through the Health Board’s Have Your Say portal. Feedback from the engagement will be presented to the September meeting of the Health Board.

Further information on the events and how individuals can share their views will be shared at the end of July.

Charity

Charity donation transforms chemotherapy waiting room at Glangwili Hospital

Published

11 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A £26,273 donation from the West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group has helped create a calmer and more comfortable space for patients undergoing cancer treatment

A GENEROUS charitable donation has helped transform the patient waiting room at Glangwili Hospital’s Chemotherapy Day Unit.

Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, has used a £26,273 donation from the West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group to fund a major refurbishment of the unit’s waiting room and adjacent kitchen.

The West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group is a patient-led group of volunteers working across West and South West Wales, offering support to prostate cancer patients, as well as their families and friends.

The project has created a more welcoming, comfortable and calming environment for patients receiving treatment, along with relatives and carers who accompany them to appointments.

Before the refurbishment, the waiting area was described as dated, dark and uninviting, in contrast to the compassionate care provided by staff within the unit. Patients can often spend long periods in the space before treatment or clinic appointments.

The work included the removal of old fixtures, full redecoration, new flooring and ceiling, the purchase of more comfortable furniture, and the addition of artwork to help improve the atmosphere.

Gina Beard, Lead Cancer Nurse, said: “We are so grateful for the donation from the West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group, which has enabled us to transform the space.

“This has made a real difference to our patients. We’ve been able to create a space that feels less clinical and more comforting. The calming colours and comfortable seating help ease anxiety and make a difficult time a little more bearable for patients and their loved ones.”

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, added: “We are deeply grateful to the West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group for their donation.

“Your generosity has enabled us to create a pleasant and relaxing space for patients and their families.”

Hywel Dda Health Charities supports NHS patients and staff across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

Health

Deputy Minister sets out priorities for social care, mental and women’s health

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Plans include same-day mental health support, a National Care Service for Wales and action on women’s health

PLANS to improve access to social care, provide same-day mental health support and strengthen women’s health services have been outlined by the Welsh Government.

Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health Delyth Jewell said she wanted to give greater prominence to areas which she believes have not received the attention they deserve.

Her priorities include progressing plans for a National Care Service for Wales, with the ambition of delivering social care that is free at the point of need.

The Deputy Minister also said safeguarding arrangements would be strengthened to better protect children and adults at risk.

Mental health services are set to move towards a model of open-access, same-day support, with 21 demonstrator sites already underway and further rollout planned.

The Welsh Government said future action on dementia will also be set out in a new Dementia Strategy for Wales, focusing on brain health, earlier diagnosis and improved support.

A Women’s Health Summit will also be held later this month, bringing together women with lived experience and clinicians.

The summit will focus on tackling the normalisation of pain, with work already underway to improve endometriosis and abortion services, as well as maternity safety and support for families who experience the loss of a baby.

Delyth Jewell said: “I want to help shine a light onto areas that haven’t had the focus they are due.

“On mental health, women’s health, and yes, the social care system that for too long has been undervalued.

“These areas deserve more attention and prominence. They deserve a voice in the heart of government, and I promise I will give that to them.”

Alzheimer’s Society’s National Influencing Manager Gemma Roberts said: “We are delighted that the Welsh Government has reaffirmed its commitment to developing a new dementia strategy for Wales. We stand ready and eager to work with the Welsh Government to turn this ambition into a reality.

“People with dementia in Wales routinely face prolonged delays to diagnosis followed by gaps and stark inequalities in treatment and support. Delays of this scale have quietly become routine for dementia, Wales’s biggest killer, but would not be accepted for cancer or heart disease. It’s vital that the Plaid Cymru manifesto commitment to a diagnosis target of 12 weeks is included in the new strategy.

“The science is flying with faster, more accurate diagnosis and new treatments on the horizon. With the delivery of a bold dementia strategy for Wales that tackles diagnosis, care and support, delivering the transformation that people living with dementia need.”

Community

Hywel Dda reaffirms commitment to Armed Forces community

Published

2 days ago

July 7, 2026

Tom Sinclair

HYWEL DDA UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD has reaffirmed its commitment to the Armed Forces community by re-signing the Armed Forces Covenant.

The covenant was signed at the Wales National Armed Forces Day 2026 event, held at Pembrey Country Park on Saturday, June 27.

It was signed on behalf of the health board by Armed Forces Champion and Independent Board Member Michael Imperato, alongside Lisa Gostling, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Workforce and Organisational Development.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a national promise to ensure that members of the Armed Forces community are treated fairly. It supports serving personnel, veterans, service leavers and their families, with a veteran defined as anyone who has served for at least one day.

By re-signing the covenant, Hywel Dda says it is continuing its role as an Armed Forces friendly employer and healthcare provider across west Wales.

This includes supporting the recruitment and employment of veterans, recognising military skills, providing additional support for reservists, offering flexible working for service families, working with partner organisations, supporting cadet groups and Armed Forces charities, and improving access to healthcare for veterans.

Anyone currently serving, or who has previously served in the Armed Forces, can find out more about the support available through Hywel Dda University Health Board’s Armed Forces Covenant pages.

Staff who are part of the Armed Forces community can also access support through the health board’s Armed Forces Staff Network by contacting [email protected].