Gwent hospitals plan more beds and vaccinations for winter

Plans to cope with increased hospital admissions over the winter in Gwent will include providing additional beds, helping patients return home more quickly, and boosting vaccinations.

But there is uncertainty over extra funding from the Welsh Government, with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board warning it faces “significant financial pressures.”

The additional costs of addressing winter pressures, with respiratory illnesses expected to peak in December and January, will have to be met from within the board’s budget. However, steps such as reducing reliance on agency staff could help ease financial strain.

Hannah Evans, the board’s director of planning, said that rather than taking “lots of actions” as had been the intention last year, this winter the board wants to focus on measures that will have the greatest impact.

These include a vaccination programme for staff and residents, managing “high-risk” patients in the community to avoid hospital admissions, triaging “priority patients” at hospital—such as those who have suffered falls—and creating additional bed space.

A report for the board’s September meeting stated it is likely to require two extra wards, potentially providing up to 40 beds. However, it noted financial and staffing challenges could make this difficult. Consideration will also have to be given to the potential impact of closing beds to prevent infections.

Ms Evans said the board is awaiting updated modelling from Public Health Wales on the likely impact of respiratory infections this winter, such as RSV, flu and Covid-19.

The board is also working with Gwent’s five local authorities, which are responsible for providing social care, as part of its plan. Last year the winter plan was supported with additional Welsh Government funding and a pooled fund with councils.

The report warned that any extra spending from the board’s budget this year would have to be approved “at executive level given the financial position of the organisation in 2025/26.”

Independent board member Penny Jones asked if the Welsh Government was planning a similar initiative to last winter’s ‘50 Day Challenge’, which provided extra funding to tackle pressure on hospitals and reduce the number of patients staying longer than necessary.

Cllr Jones also criticised late notification of funding from the Welsh Government, saying: “It is always left to the last minute and then it’s impossible to use correctly.”

Ms Evans said the board had met its targets under the challenge last year and improvements had continued beyond the 50-day period.

The winter plan was approved by the board.