Andrew Goodall, lead chief executive for the South Wales Programme and chief executive of Aneurin Bevan Health Board, said: “I’d like to today thank all our clinicians who have contributed to the South Wales Programme to date and the thousands of people from across South Wales and South Powys who have been involved in the consultation over the last eight weeks. “We’ve had an unprecedented response to the South Wales Programme with hundreds of people attending the 51 public meetings held across South Wales and South Powys and more than 13,000 questionnaires submitted by the start of the final week of the consultation. We’re expecting this number to rise considerably over the last day and hours of the consultation as more questionnaires and written submissions are received. “I would also like to extend the programme’s thanks to the community health councils for their support in delivering all the public events and all the organisations which have allowed us to hold meetings in their facilities. “This is the first time five health boards and the
Andrew Goodall, lead chief executive for the South Wales Programme
Welsh Ambulance Service have come together to work collaboratively to address the very real and pressing challenges facing some of our hospital services and to develop proposals for the future. This has been a truly unique and clinically-led journey which will improve the quality, safety and sustainability of services into the future. “This has been an open and transparent process from the beginning and we have been very clear throughout
that no decisions have been or will be made about the outcome of the consultation until we have analysed all the evidence and data collected in the run up to and during the eight-week consultation period. “However, we have also tried to honestly describe the pressures we are already experiencing and our concerns about the safety and sustainability of some of our most critical services. We have been very clear throughout that we
have to change the way we deliver consultant-led maternity and neonatal care, inpatient children’s services and emergency medicine (A&E) for the sickest and most seriously injured patients – no change is not an option going forward. “The public consultation phase of the South Wales Programme closed on Friday July 19 and now the real work will begin as the mammoth task of analysing the thousands of responses from individuals and organisations begins.”
What happens next? All the responses to the c o n s u l t a t i o n — questionnaires, petitions, letters and submissions from individuals and organisations—together with comments and questions from the public meetings will be independently analysed by Opinion Research Services over the summer. Once the analysis is complete, it will be shared with the five health boards, the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust and the community health councils. It, together with all the evidence which supports and informs the South Wales Programme, will then be con-
sidered CHCs.
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Individual health boards will make a decision about the outcome of the consultation and the future for consultant-led maternity and neonatal care, inpatient children’s services and emergency medicine (A&E) later this year. This decision will be based on the evidence supporting the South Wales Programme and the evidence to emerge during the eightweek consultation process. The outcome will deliver improved clinical outcomes for patients across South Wales and South Powys.
The South Wales Programme is about the future of consultant-led maternity and neonatal care; inpatient children’s services and emergency medicine (A&E)
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A NEW haematology day unit for patients with blood disorders will be officially opened at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, in Llantrisant, on Wednesday (July 24). The six-chair and two-bed unit is more spacious than the old cramped rooms and will provide a comfortable environment for patients to receive treatment. It will also allow cancer patients who currently have to travel to Velindre Cancer Centre for blood transfusions to be treated closer to home. A new bereavement suite, where grieving families will be supported after the
death of a loved one in hospital, has been opened in the old haematology unit on the ground floor of the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. The suite has been fully furnished with the help of local funeral directors who donated more than £1,000 to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital’s bereavement team after being contacted by bereavement officer Paula Lewis. Speaking ahead of the official opening of the haematology day unit and bereavement suite, Glyn Evans, the directorate manager for pathology at Cwm Taf Health Board, said: “We now have a dedicated day unit where patients can come to have their transfu-
sion, which can take two hours or more. “This is a much better environment for patients to come – it’s light and airy and they aren’t being disrupted while they are having their treatment.” Paula Lewis, Cwm Taf Health Board’s bereavement officer, who led the refurbishment of the bereavement suite, said: “It’s very important to have a central place where families can come. Losing someone is a very traumatic time so it’s good to have somewhere they can come, have a chat and find out information about what will happen next.
“The old bereavement room was literally a cupboard and not very comfortable for relatives – we’ve had a really good response to this new environment. “Coming into hospital is bad enough after you’ve lost a loved one but to be able to come into a comfy, quiet place and make it a little easier. “There’s a lot of job satisfaction for me knowing I’m helping people when they lose someone.” The haematology unit and bereavement suite was officially opened by Cwm Taf Health Board chief executive Allison Williams on Wednesday (July 24).
Patients and staff on ward three in Dewi Sant Hospital, Pontypridd are quenching their thirst in the heat thanks to two new fridges stacked with bottled water donated by Basil Jenkins Funeral Home in Treforest. Patients and staff have been feeling the heat during the recent hot weather and with kitchen fridges already filled to capacity with daily supplies of sandwiches, milk and fruit juices everyone was struggling to keep cool. John Chapman, funeral director at Basil Jenkins Funeral Homes, said: “We like to get involved in positive community activity and we’re very aware that the hot weather can make conditions difficult on a hospital ward.
“We just wanted to help in any way we could – what better way to do that than donating a couple of fridges to the ward full of cold drinks. We hope it will help patients and staff out who might be struggling in the heat.” Dr Myint Mu, associate specialist doctor at Dewi Sant Hospital, said: “The new fridges will help us encourage our patients to have cold supplemental drinks which are so important in the hot weather.” Denise Perkins, ward three manager, said: “Apart from the fridges in the kitchen, which are already full to the brim, we’ve had nowhere to chill patients’ supplementary drinks on the ward.
“The fridges will make a huge difference to us. We can’t predict how many drinks we’ll need throughout the day and having the fridges on the wards means that chilled drinks will be to hand.” Karen McGeorge, senior nurse at Dewi Sant Hopsital , said: “This is a wonderful gift from Basil Jenkins Funeral Home and we are very grateful to them. “It will certainly help us to improve patient care and their experience in the hospital during this hot weather.”
PEOPLE’S stories about their hospital care are helping Cwm Taf Health Board improve health services. A team has been set up to capture patients’ stories to help NHS staff learn from their experiences. Six digital stories have been produced by the health board as part of the scheme which was set up through
significant change and challenges for patients moving between the services and the need for a consistent and seamless transition pathway from paediatric into adult services. As a result of these stories children and young people‘s services have set up a task and finish group to drive this work forward.
carers, friends and family – need to do everything they can to help the person retain their sense of identity and feelings of self worth. This can be challenging in the hospital setting. In the story, Edie’s carer talks about her experience and the frustrations of not being recognised as a carer. She also explains how being given the ‘This is me’ leaflet made her feel involved in Edie’s care. ‘This is me’ is a simple and practical tool that provides a snapshot of the person with dementia, confusion or memory loss, giving information about them as an individual, such as needs, preferences, likes, dislikes and interests. This enables staff to treat each person as an individual, reducing distress for them and their carers and helping to prevent issues such as malnutrition and dehydration.
the 1,000 Lives Plus programme. Two of the stories concentrated on the transition from paediatric services to adult services for children with special needs or learning disabilities highlighting the need for improvement. This came about through Tamara’s and Tomos’ stories. Both stories highlighted the
Another example of where a patient story has resulted in a change to working practice is Edie’s story. Edie suffered from dementia and was cared for by her friend and neighbour. When a person with dementia finds their mental abilities are declining, they often feel vulnerable and in need of reassurance and support. The people closest to them – including their
Kathryn Doughton, Cwm Taf Health Board’s lead for Stories for Improvement, said: “Patient stories are a powerful tool to dynamically drive service change. “We can learn what is working well from the point of view of people using the service and sharing that good practice with staff in the health board. “We can also discover ways to improve services for patients – often it is the small changes that make a real difference to people.”
More than 100 housekeepers at Royal Glamorgan Hospital, in Llantrisant, are showing off their new scrubs-style uniforms. Staff have described the burgundy trousers and tunic (pictured) as “practical, comfortable, smarter and, more importantly, easier to iron”. They also described how they “feel part of a team”, adding: “Previously there were a few different types of uniform housekeepers wore and this used to confuse staff as well as patients and visitors.” It is anticipated that the uniforms will be rolled out
to other housekeeping staff within Cwm Taf Health Board by August. Lisa Rogers, housekeeping services manager said: “As we are working towards consistency across our health board the uniform will form part of the valued professional image for our services. “We are all aware of the importance of securing the public awareness and confidence in identifying staff and this must encompass all operational staff within the health board. “Staff feel the importance
of being part of the uniform rolling programme across the health board and they all feel assured that they sponsor a smarter, more professional image, it offers a very positive influence to the work force. “The uniform addresses key health and safety recommendations, which include providing a professional image to promote public confidence, our staff are able to work comfortably in them, the uniforms are easy to launder and iron, the uniform adheres to infection prevention and control protocols.”
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The Health Minister, Mark Drakeford, has announced that Cwm Taf has achieved the status of University Health Board. During a visit to Prince Charles Hospital the Minister confirmed that the health board has strongly demonstrated its close work with Cardiff University and the University of South Wales. The Health Minister, Mark Drakeford said: “The change in name re-
flects a real commitment to excellence in terms of partnership with higher education, the quality of services provided and overall performance.” A review of the health board’s status will be undertaken every three years, starting in 2016, to ensure the criteria continues to be met and there is clear evidence of continual improvement in the quality of care being provided and patient outcomes, through their partnership working with the Universities.
Dr Chris Jones, chair of Cwm Taf University Health Board said: “This is much more than adding the word university to our name – it acknowledges Cwm Taf’s commitment to investing in staff, ongoing learning and research and development and our strong links with the communities we work in and serve. “It is our belief that university health board status will help us in our ongoing drive to reverse the inverse care law and provide high qual-
ity response care and services for those communities with the greatest need. It will enable us to build effective community links to tackle poor health and deprivation.” Professor Donna Mead, Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences and Education at the University of South Wales and a member of Cwm Taf University Health Board, said: “University health board status for Cwm Taf not only cements but builds on the strong relationships which already exist between the health board and the university. We will continue working together to foster opportunities for the valley communities and strengthen healthcare in the area.” Cardiff University's Dean of Medical Education, Professor John Bligh said: "This is very good news for healthcare education in the region. "High quality health care needs high quality education and this award recognises the commitment Cwm Taf has to the education and training of students and of practitioners. "The ground is now set for further innovation in the region and for the partnership between the health board and Cardiff University to develop even further."
the end of June 2008 was finished in February 2013. The work was carried out to meet fire legislation, Health and Safety requirements on asbestos, and to meet current building regulations for ward accommodation. This means better facilities for patients and a much improved working environment for ward staff. The significant changes include more single patient cubicles with en-suite facilities and each four-bed bay having their own shower and toilet facilities instead of six-bed bays sharing limited bathroom facilities. Speaking about the refurbishment, Health Minister Mark Drakeford said: “The refurbishment work was essential to ensure safe and sustainable health care in the Prince Charles Hospital. It was a huge undertaking, but patient services were maintained without disruption at all
times under difficult circumstances.” Speaking after touring the newly refurbished wards, Prof Drakeford said: “I don’t think anyone coming to the hospital could feel anything other than coming here is something special. “I hope and know that there’s more which will follow from this.” Allison Williams, chief executive of Cwm Taf University Health Board, added: “We are incredibly grateful to our staff, patients and the public for their patience while this extensive work to renovate and modernise Prince Charles Hospital has been carried out and we apologise for any inconvenience it may have caused. “However, this building work will ensure patients from Merthyr Tydfil, south Powys and neighbouring areas receive their highquality care in modern, fitfor-purpose surroundings.”
The Minister made the announcement while visiting Prince Charles Hospital to see the completed £53m ward refurbishment programme. The Welsh Government funded work on wards one to 12 in the original Merthyr Block of Prince Charles Hospital which started at
The picture shows (l to r) Allison Williams, chief executive of Cwm Taf University Health Board; Bethan Lewis, senior nurse; Health Minister Mark Drakeford and Deborah Evans, outpatients manager at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil.
Cwm Taf Health Board has completed the refurbishment on the Seren unit at Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant and it will officially open on October 7, 2013.
dementia.
Seren ward is the dementia assessment unit based at Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant and has recently undergone a major refurbishment.
Seren unit has effectively been split into two. This allows the development of an enhanced care unit (ECU) for those patients who are experiencing extreme distress and exhibiting disturbed behaviour and need high levels of care. By developing the model in this way staff will be able to meet the needs of the most physically frail and most disturbed in an effective and safe way.
Before the facelift, the environment was unwelcoming and could be a frightening place to be for patients. But after significant investment by Cwm Taf Health Board it has now been painted in subtle calming shades, has natural light, a beautiful garden and lounge areas that are warm and inviting. The changes will make assessment in the unit safer and more therapeutic for those suffering often extremely distressing symptoms related to their
The refurbishment will also improve patient safety in the unit and will contribute to patient’s wellbeing and general health.
Also benefitting from this investment is St David’s unit, which is a 10-bed functional assessment unit. It has been completely redecorated and the use of living space altered to en-
sure that a therapeutic environment is achieved giving patients more communal living space which can be used flexibly depending on the patient mix at any one time. As part of the refurbishment programme the doors were made wider, observation windows were added and a room with soft wall coverings and special flooring was created for patients who are at risk of falling. The bed lowers down to the floor in the evenings reducing the risk of injury should a patient be at high risk of a fall. Plug points are plush to the walls and radiators are in the ceiling. All this makes for a safer environment for the patients. One of the lounges has a projector on the wall and music facilities, another has been equipped with a computer console.
The walls of Seren ward are decorated with pictures of the Rhondda valleys past and present and a mosaic which patients and volunteers from Gwanwyn Festival and Age Cymru created lights up the corridor all aiding the assessment process. The inspiration for these came from ward manager Ann Orrells and Phil Thomas, the organiser of the Gwanwyn Festival. Together they launched the Mind’s Eye project, which brings together nursing care and art. The photographs and the positive impact that it has had on patients and staff alike is amazing and all aims to improve the patients stay on the unit. Ann said: “The pictures are always a talking point as the patients look at them and say ‘I remember that’ -
they will spot something new every time they look at them.” Gwanwyn Festival has now secured funding for a year and what once was an old unused kitchen at the unit has been turned into a crafts room where artists visit weekly to work with patients. Elaine Nicholas, a staff nurse on the ward, said: “Since the refurbishment of Seren ward we have a much smoother transition from one area to the other. We focus on person-centred care here and what the patients needs are. “The patients always come first. When the patient’s needs are met we can transfer them to the appropriate place. This is now much more fluid.” Seren ward was awarded the AIMS certificate for
2013-15, in January - a prestigious accolade reflecting the high standards of care provided. Ann added: ”Staff are extremely committed to patient care and they always do their very best for the patient. “The ward refurbishment has enabled us to have a more organised and safer environment where we follow the patient through their hospital journey in the most pleasurable environment available to them. “I am very lucky to have excellent support from my staff and my manager Sara Rees as well as the artists that visit the unit and Age Cymru this all adds up to achieving the best patient experience possible”.
challenge to raise awareness of organ donation and the need for more people to sign up to the Organ Donor Register and tell their loved ones they have done so. “We see every day, as part of our jobs, how difficult it is for people to deal with the loss of a loved one. It’s a traumatic time but, in my experience, families who agree to donation gain considerable comfort from knowing that they have given someone else the gift of life.”
To mark National Transplant Week, (8th - 14th July), a number of Specialist Nurses in Organ Donation (SNODs) from NHS Blood and Transplant, undertook a challenging 390mile bike ride across Wales to raise awareness of organ donation and the need for families to talk about their wishes. Nurses Phil Walton, based in Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen, and Jo Davies, from Nevill Hall, Abergavenny, were the instigators of the bike ride, and their colleague Richard Pugh, from Wrexham Maelor Hospital, led the North Wales involvement with the initiative. The bike ride was supported by the Welsh Government’s Heart to Heart Roadshow, which was located at locations across south Wales including Tesco, Merthyr on the afternoon of Wednesday 10th July. Members of the public dropped in to find out more about organ donation, including the importance of knowing the wishes of family members and how to
sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register. Phil and Jo started the challenge on Monday 8th July at Bronglais Hospital, cycling from hospital to hospital across south Wales, with their final destination being the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff on Friday 12th July. They visited Prince Charles Hospital, on Wednesday 10th July where they were greeted by friends and supporters. North Wales colleagues undertook the final leg of the journey on Saturday 13th July, cycling from Wrexham Maelor Hospital to Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital, Bangor, a distance of about 70 miles. Before setting off, Phil Walton, Specialist Nurse at NHS Blood and Transplant said, “Our bike ride across south and mid Wales is certainly ambitious. I’m looking forward to it immensely although I’m sure that after five consecutive days of pedaling I’ll be feeling aches and pains in every bone in my body. But both Jo and I wanted to do this
Jo Davies added, “The best advice I would give to anyone regarding organ donation would be to talk honestly and openly to family and close friends about each other’s wishes. You would be surprised how few family members know their next of kin’s wishes or are aware if they have signed the NHS Organ Donor Register. “It’s actually an easy conversation to have, and crucially important. When faced with a tragic situation, such knowledge can greatly ease the stress for all involved. “We hope our bike ride will help raise awareness of organ donation and encourage people to have heart to heart conversations about their wishes.” Monies raised will be donated to Donor Family Network, a charity that promotes the positive benefits of organ and tissue donation for the families of those who have died and donated, for recipients and for those awaiting transplants.