When staff were moved last year over safety concerns with the roof they said they were told the move would be temporary, but they now say they’ve been told they won’t be returning to the hospital
Staff say now they’ve been told by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board that the department will be staying in Treorchy(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)
A Welsh health board overseeing work at a hospital with structural building concerns has reportedly told staff members who had temporarily had to work elsewhere due to worries over patient and staff safety that they won’t be able to return.
Staff who had worked on ward 19 at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend say they were told they’d be temporarily posted to another of the health board’s sites at Ysbyty George Thomas (YGT) in Treorchy after problems emerged with the roof at the Princess of Wales Hospital.
Structural issues with the roof at the hospital had meant it had rotted and overnight 10 wards had to be evacuated last year. Some wards were moved to other areas of the hospital while other departments had to move to other parts of the region, in some cases quite far away.
The people’s care provision unit, which was previously in ward 19, was deemed too unsafe to operate in had been moved 15 miles away to YGT.
Staff members working in that department who wished to remain anonymous have told WalesOnline they were told this move was described to them as temporary. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter
Some staff say they’re unhappy with the plans to base them permanently elsewhere – in some cases quite far away from Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
But they say now they’ve been told by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board that the department will be staying in Treorchy. Staff who were also temporarily posted to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Pontyclun say they’ve also received the same notices about that situation being made permanent with transport no longer being accommodated.
The health board says the situation is still in a consultation process which involves staff and isn’t to do with structural concerns at the hospital which they say is being remedied.
Nurses have said what is equally difficult is that the public transport which had been put on for them is being taken away from next month as part of the reported changes. One said: “While the roof was leaking most of the wards were moved elsewhere and we’ve now been told we aren’t moving back. The staff are devastated.”
In a statement local councillor Tim Thomas said many staff have approached him about the issue. He said: “Over the past few days I have been contacted by several constituents from Tondu, Sarn, Brynmenyn and Bryncethin who work for the NHS and were part of the ward 19 team at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.
“Ward 19 was temporarily relocated to YGT in Treorchy last year due to structural issues with the roof at the Princess of Wales. Staff understood this move to be temporary but were recently informed with only 18 hours’ notice that the relocation is now being made permanent and that transport provided by the health board will end on October 13.
“The decision will have a significant impact on staff, many of whom do not have access to a car and have found public transport to YGT unworkable, particularly given their long and unsociable shift patterns.”
The plan is to move the staff to a much smaller site at YGT in Treorchy, pictured here(Image: Google Maps)
A spokesperson for the health board said the move is not based on structural concerns at the Princess of Wales where they said work to replace the roof was reaching completion.
They added: “We have launched a consultation with our staff about the future of older people’s care provision in the health board which includes proposals to relocate services from Princess of Wales Hospital to Ysbyty George Thomas (YGT).
“Providing the highest standard of care for our patients remains our top priority. We have made significant investments in the facilities and estate at YGT creating a more suitable environment to meet the needs of the older people in our care.
“Since the ward was temporarily relocated at YGT last year we’ve seen clear evidence that being based in a community hospital setting has had a positive impact on patient experience.”