PLANS FOR NEW HOSPITAL IN CAERPHILLY COUNTY BOROUGH TO BE CONSIDERED BY ASSEMBLY

Caerphilly Local Health Board (LHB) today announced the outcome of the public consultation on the Outline Business Case (OBC) for the development of a new hospital in the County Borough.

The announcement follows a 13-week period of public consultation where residents were asked to register their views on the options presented by the LHB. The LHB has taken into account all the responses received during the consultation period, including those views expressed at the six public meetings and the views of Gwent Community Health Council.

A revised version of Option 3 in the consultation document will now be presented within the OBC to the Welsh Assembly Government for approval. The original option 3 proposed the development of a new integrated local hospital in a central location within the County Borough and the closure of all other hospitals. This has now been amended to include the siting of a Health & Social Care Centre at Redwood Hospital, pending further discussion with the local community on a long term location for these services. This would include some beds under the management of local GPs.

Judith Paget, chief executive of Caerphilly LHB, said: “We are aware that the location of a new hospital within the County Borough is an extremely sensitive issue and we have taken into account the concerns raised by local residents through the public consultation. We feel sure that the proposals outlined in the OBC offer us the best opportunity to provide Caerphilly residents with quality healthcare services that will serve them for at least the next 40 or 50 years as the current hospitals have.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people who contributed to the public consultation. Their views are now helping to shape the future of modern healthcare in Caerphilly County Borough.”

The most frequently asked question throughout the consultation period was the proposed location of the new hospital. In response to this question, the LHB has stated that a centrally located hospital within the County Borough will be no further north than Bargoed, no further south than Ystrad Mynach and no further east than Blackwood.

To date, the LHB and Gwent NHS Healthcare Trust have met with Local Authority planners to agree the availability of sites in the defined area. Further detailed work is now being undertaken on the potential sites in terms of geology and transport links. The aim is to have an identified preferred site by mid September 2004.

The OBC will be presented to a joint meeting of the LHB and Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust Boards and, subject to their approval, will be submitted to the Welsh Assembly Government for final approval.