The vision at Morriston Hopsital is for a new-look ‘health campus’ with a new road from near the M4 leading to it
The entrance to Morriston Hospital (Image: Wales Online )
Plans to expand Swansea’s flagship hospital and build a new road to it have been unveiled. Swansea Bay University Health Board wants to build a critical care centre at Morriston Hospital consisting of a new emergency department and operating theatres on land just north of Mynydd Gelli Wastad Road.
The land would also be home to a regional thoracic centre for patients who need chest and lung surgery, a Swansea University institute for life sciences building, three regional support services buildings and an energy centre. The critical care centre would have a rooftop helipad.
The regional hospital lies just to the south of Mynydd Gelli Wastad Road and would continue to function there. Existing wards would be refurbished and reconfigured to provide more single rooms than currently.
In addition a new block of six wards would be built opposite the new critical care centre. Both these buildings, and the thoracic centre, would be served by spacious plaza-style pedestrian entrance. This plaza entrance would in turn sever the existing west-to-east route of Mynydd Gelli Wastad Road, with users directed on a loop to the north before rejoining the road a few hundred yards away.
A big part of the new plan is a new road to the health campus, starting at a roundabout just north of junction 46 of the M4. It would run for a mile in a north-easterly direction, continue to the area to be developed above Mynydd Gelli Wastad Road, and be first part of the project to be completed. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here
A design and access statement submitted on behalf of the health board, which runs hospital and health care services in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, said: “The over-arching vision for Morriston Hospital is to create an integrated health campus which better connects the local communities within the wider Swansea region to this major acute hospital.”
It added: “The existing emergency department is in a poor condition and like many other emergency department across Wales is under sustained pressure with overcrowding and long waiting times.
“Consequently, the health board’s ability to carry out refurbishment works or even routine maintenance to this existing emergency department are significantly compromised.”
(Image: Richard Youle )
A regional pathology centre is also proposed at the health campus and discussions are ongoing about a new care home on land to the east which would look after patients who were medically fit to be discharged from hospital but were waiting for support in the community before they could leave. Both these elements fall outside of the current planning application to Swansea Council, which seeks detailed consent for the new road and outline consent for the hospital expansion.
Different layout options for the health campus and route options for the road were looked as part of the development process – and Welsh Government funding would be needed to turn the plans into reality.
Further details about layout, parking and landscaping will be finalised in a detailed planning application but the proposals indicate a new central park at the health campus, as much retained greenery as possible, new green spaces within hospital courtyards, and tree planting and a cycle path along the new access road.
At this stage it’s indicated that 916 parking spaces would be required to serve the thoracic centre, critical care centre, and life science and regional support service buildings.
The health board has been discussing the health campus plans with the council since 2020 and carried out a consultation prior to submitting its application.
People who responded to the pre-application consultation brought issues up such as rights of way, loss of access to fields and farmland where the road is planned, potential impacts on wildlife and biodiversity, and a call for a park and ride to be created near the start of the new road by the M4. The health board responded, saying loss of access to fields was being discussed with landowners, that no land under threat was graded as best and most versatile, and that no park and ride was planned.
One consultation response described the proposals as well-prepared, necessary and timely.
A health impact study was also submitted as part of the plans. It found that:
- Swansea’s population is predicted to rise by 7.5% by 2043 while Neath Port Talbot is expected to have a 6.3% increase
- Life expectancy in the Swansea Bay health board area – 76.8 years for men and 81 years for women- is marginally lower than the national average
- There is a 14.9-year life expectancy gap between the most and least deprived area in Swansea for men, and a 19.8-year gap for women. The figures for Neath Port Talbot are 10.2-year life expectancy gap for men between the most and least deprived area and a 17.2-year gap for women
- 60% people over 16 are overweight or obese in Swansea compared to 65% in Neath Port Talbot
- Sickness absence rates across the health board area are significantly higher than the national average.
A new consultation about the proposed road from by the M4 is under way, closing on September 1.
Darren Griffiths, the health board’s director of finance, said: “The development of the road is a key element of our plans to secure the future strategic potential of the Morriston site for the populations that we serve. At this stage, while the consultation is still ongoing, we are not able to add any further comments.”
Morriston councillor Rob Stewart, who is also the leader of Swansea Council, said: “I welcome the proposal submitted by the health board which will, if approved, provide much better links to Morriston Hospital, reduce traffic on existing roads, and allow Morriston Hospital to expand its offering of services.”