Health centres nearing completion

TWO new health centres for Ceredigion are nearing completion, according to Hywel Dda Health Board’s county director.

Peter Skitt told members of the coordination overview and scrutiny committee on Wednesday (May 15) that it had taken some time but partnership working was now happening.

“Integration, it’s a very easy thing to say but it takes people and it takes joined up thinking, and a shared outcome, to be able to get where we need to get to,” he told Ceredigion County Councillors.

Mr Skitt added that delivering integration was “tricky.”

In Cardigan the completion of the £23.8million integrated care centre (CICC) is on target for completion in October 2019, and is due to ‘go live’ in December, councillors were told.

“There were some challenges with the site,” said Mr Skitt but access to minor injury, GP practices, x-ray and out patient clinics will be available.

CICC will also feature community resource teams (CRT), therapies, social care and access to mental health teams.

Aberearon’s ICC is currently being painted and the two year, £3million, refurbishment of a former local authority building is due for completion in August.

It will go live in September, said Mr Skitt, adding “there’s no reason to doubt those dates.”

AICC will also include GP and out patient services as well as audiology appointments with the team from Bronglais Hospital, CRT, therapies, social care, mental health teams, public health and Porth Gofal – a partnership aiming to streamline access to social care and health services.

Mr Skitt also told members that work was in the early stages of developing a similar ICC in Llandysul and plans in the pipeline for Lampeter and Aberystwyth ICC.