Newtown’s health and wellbeing facility could have 32 inpatient beds

IT is calculated that 32 hospital beds will be needed at the North Powys health and wellbeing campus earmarked for The Park in Newtown.

The campus will bring health, social care, education, and volunteer organisations, all together in one place and reduce the need for patients to travel more than 30 miles for treatment over the border to Shrewsbury or Telford.

At a board meeting of Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) on Wednesday, March 30, more details of the health facilities for the site were revealed, as members discussed the next stage of the project.

This is to submit a “strategic outline case” (SOC) to the Welsh Government for the project.

Earlier this month, Welsh Government First Minister, Mark Drakeford endorsed the “programme business case” for the campus.

But estimated costs for the scheme have now gone up to over £109 million.

Assistant programme director, Carly Skitt told board members that work had been done to look the medical needs of patients that the campus would need to deal with.

Ms Skitt explained that the facility would need: step down beds, specialist beds for people suffering from strokes and brain disorders as well beds for “reablement” which is care for people suffering from short illnesses.

The facility would also need beds for end-of-life care.

“That’s indicated potential for a 32-bed inpatient unit,” said Ms Skitt.

She added that having MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) and CT (computed tomography) scanners, X-Ray and ultrasound equipment in Newtown would: “open up opportunities for us to provide much more care locally in North Powys.”

Ms Skitt added that a  surgical theatre for smaller procedures such as endoscopies could also be part of the campus as well as some maternity services.

PTHB director of planning and performance, Hayley Thomas said that the SOC document will give the Welsh Government “reassurance” that the campus works and that through “very detailed work” we have identified the preferred site.

Ms Thomas said: “We have set out the case around the benefits that will be brought by this investment.”

PTHB chief executive Carol Shillabeer said:

“I’m delighted that we’re at this position, after everything we’ve been through.

“I’m grateful that we’re sticking with this and putting something tangible on the table for the people of North Powys in particular.

“Powys still has the oldest estate in all of the NHS in Wales, 38 per cent of it pre-dates the NHS formation (1948) compared with 12 per cent across the rest of Wales.

“We only have five per cent of our estate built after 2005 compared to about 23 per cent across Wales, so we are on a bit of a catch up here.”

PTHB chair, Prof Vivienne Harpwood said:

“We do have a very strong evidence base, and we’ve had an excellent presentation.”

The board voted to approve the SOC and also the memorandum of understanding with Powys County Council to jointly work on the project.

It is expected that the SOC will be submitted to the Welsh Government in April and is hoped the campus will be built and operational sometime in 2026.