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The Grange University Hospital is set to receive a £14million investment to help it cope with “extreme pressure”.

The money will go towards revamping the hospital’s A&E department to boost patient capacity.

As part of the funding, the emergency department will have more space for ambulance handovers and for assessment and treatment, while the waiting room will have its capacity doubled.

Currently, the A&E is attended by around 263 patients per day on average, despite it only being designed to serve up to 170 patients a day when it opened in 2020.

This has resulted in overcrowding and uncomfortable conditions for patients and staff.

Now, the main waiting area is set to be extended and transformed into a rapid assessment area, where patients can receive examinations and investigations quickly and be monitored for short periods, according to the Welsh Government.

Making the announcement, health minister Eluned Morgan said: “This considerable investment will result in improved patient safety, comfort and privacy. It will also provide an improved working environment for staff.

Baroness Morgan continued: “We continue to work with the health board to support them in delivering actions and improvements related to urgent and emergency care.

“This includes offering safe alternatives to emergency departments and hospital admissions, ensuring only the people who really need to be in hospital are there and receive the best outcomes possible.”

Demand has “changed significantly”

The funding has been welcomed by the chief executive of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Nicola Prygodzicz said: “Since its original design, the demand on the emergency department has changed significantly and far more people are self-presenting than was originally anticipated.

“Having taken into account this additional need, we have put plans in place to extend the waiting area capacity and assessment space to meet the growing needs of our population.”

She continued: “We expect the new extension will greatly improve the experience of our patients when they need to attend the emergency department and we’d like to thank them for their patience while the building work is carried out.”

The announcement has also been welcomed by Caerphilly’s Labour MS, Hefin David, who described it as “very much needed”.

Dr David said: “I speak with residents from Caerphilly on a regular basis about their experiences of the Grange Hospital and it is clear that these improvements are necessary, for staff wellbeing and patient care purposes.”