Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

Gwent health chiefs want more information on plans that would see surgeries and diagnostic testing carried out at a new site. 

The Llantrisant Health Park, close to the town’s Royal Glamorgan Hospital, could be designated as a regional diagnostic and treatment centre for south-east Wales. 

That could see patients from Gwent, as well as Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, and beyond sent to the proposed centre – which could also be used as additional capacity to meet demand across the region, including for planned or elective orthopaedic surgery. 

The Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board, which covers Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, and Bridgend counties, bought the site in February 2023.

Senior managers from Gwent’s Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) have been planning, with their counterparts in Cardiff and Cwm Taf, ways to make use of the new centre as part of wider regional planning. 

NHS Wales chief executive Judith Paget wrote to the boards back in January setting out how she expected work on planning the Llantrisant Health Park to “proceed at pace” and to show how they could make use of it on a regional basis. 

She also told boards to consider demand for endoscopy, which is testing using a camera inside the body, as well as radiology – which is medical imaging and pathology disease testing.

Ms Paget urged health boards to look into how that demand can be met, and to set out a plan to meet the demand on a regional basis. 

A “clear plan” to use Llanristant Health Park for elective orthopaedic work was also required, along with an outline of further developments at the site and regional working in general. 

The Aneurin Bevan board members will be asked to endorse a strategic vision document for the site when they meet in Caerleon on Wednesday March 26, with the other boards also due to consider the plan when they meet in March. 

A series of documents and reports are also being prepared in response to Ms Paget’s letter. 

However, ABUHB doesn’t consider there will be a requirement for further capacity for CT or MRI scans in Llantrisant as it has already agreed investment at its Grange Hospital in Cwmbran. 

It has also already developed a regional endoscopy plan setting out current demand and capacity and the shortfall across the region.  

It will then assess how it can meet the demand before considering how Llantrisant could help address the shortfall, which will be subject to a further report to the board. 

Commissioning services at Llantrisant would, according to a report for the board, be dependent on future additional funding while it also said further engagement with patient group Llais and communities will be required.