Labour politicians Wayne David and Jeff Cuthbert have met with officials from the Aneurin Bevan Health Board to discuss reported problems at the new Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr.
The £172m hospital in Ystrad Mynach opened its doors in November 2011, but the public have yet to take the hospital to their hearts citing a number of problems.
Issues that have been raised to Mr David and Mr Cuthbert include a lack of adequate signs outside and inside the hospital, inadequate nurse coverage of the individual bedrooms, poor catering and organisational problems.
As a result of the complaints, the two met with senior management Aneurin Bevan Health Board.
The politicians said the health board recognises there are still misconceptions about what health services the hospital provides.
AM Mr Cuthbert AM said: “Wayne and I recognise that this is a new type of hospital and there are bound to be teething problems in a large facility like this, but we are pleased that the health board is not “in denial” and are taking steps to correct matters. We also accept that the hospital brings new services such as scanners and the mental health unit.
“However, it’s important that people point out when the service they, or their loved ones, receive is not up to scratch. If complaints are not made then it’s difficult to rectify them. It would be good to hear about nice experiences too.”
MP Mr David added: “We’re pleased to say that the senior management assured us that they take these concerns seriously and that actions are being taken. They added that not all the planned services are there yet, as these were scheduled to commence in stages as part of the commissioning plan for the hospital.
“The health board also told us that similar problems were encountered at the new Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan in Ebbw Vale, opened earlier last year, but that these were addressed during the early months and are now largely resolved. I’m confident that the new hospital will be seen as a huge step forward even though there’s a way to go yet.”
Caerphilly Observer is awaiting comment from the Aneurin Bevan Health Board.
Why is it not surprising that the shortcomings of the health provisions provided at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr are falling short of peoples `reasonable` expectations?. Particularly, in a 21st century medical centre.
The issue raised by Jeff Cuthbert and Wayne David?, Lack of signs, poor catering provisions, etc. are simple `hotel` services, much the same as laundry, cleaning and the paying of the utility bills, changing light bulbs and ensuring there is toilet paper in the toilets are simple logistics, and they can`t even get that right?. It poses the question who on getting paid to ensure these simple tasks are performed, and, how much do the senior managers at the hospital get paid for doing so? And it’s never too early to ask these questions.
The actual fact is, that people`s expectation, of the provisions at this hospital, may be set far too high, In fact, local politicians have lauded the provisions in the new unit for years for political gain, the biggest `myth` perpetrated when the hospital was suggested, and, carried on by some members of Caerphilly Council particularly, was that it was a `replacement` for the Miners Hospital, and nothing could have been further from reality.
The new unit is no more that a 20th century cottage hospital, the health care, no doubt, is much improved from the old cottage hospitals, simply because health sciences have moved on. There are less beds and services available than the Miners and Ystrad Mynach Hospital provided, both dismantled to finance the new cottage hospital at Ystrad Mynach.
A far more serious and politically difficult issue for local elected members to address, is that Ambulances race past this unit every day carrying emergency patients to Newport, and Cardiff hospitals, many people will die, perhaps avoidably, in that process in coming years, unless of course, OUR health Authority gets a grip, and the politicians of all political persuasions works towards the provision of a proper 24 hour Accident and Emergency unit at this location, and I don`t mean the duplication of what many GP health centres already provide to injured and sick patients, all it takes is the will to do so, and a revision and a re-gigging of where the health authority currently spends its budgets at this Cottage Hospital and elsewhere in its organisation.
The public were clearly misled on the creation of this unit and what it was supposed to provide in easing the concerns of the closure of Caerphilly miners Hospital. Could it be that it was interest of others to do so at that time? .
I agree whole heartedly with Mr. Bond's comment. Wayne David and Jeff Cuthbert are, no doubt, responding to complaints they have received but I hope they are both focussed on the major flaw in this £172 Million building. This is the complete lack of Accident and Emergency care at Ystrad Fawr.
The Caerffili Miners Hospital provided, before run down, a 24 hour accident and emergency service. It also provided the care required for recovery, with the exception of burns, these patients were stabilised and then sent to a specialist burns unit a Chepstow.
This new building has many useful functions, such as MRI scanners, but is certainly not a replacement for the hospitals closed. It is simply a luxurious assessment centre, or as Councillor Dix (Labour) terms it, "a glorified cottage hospital." I cannot disagree with him but he has unfortunately received a lot of critiscism for his candour. The people of Caerffili and the Rhymney Valley were told for years they were getting a replacement hospital; we are still waiting.
Why do they have to change language these days. I have heard of people walking past the "Diagnostic" sign when looking for the X-Ray point. There is no need for bureaucratic change of names as everybody understands the term X-Ray. I am glad to say a sub-sign has now been added.
when entering a hospital one is usually faced witha board iindicating what is where on each floor. Here you are faced with a pillar and have to walk around it to see on each of the 4 sides what is on each of the 4 floors.
Wheb my wife was an in-patient in December a friend travelled from Aberdare to visit and drove round Ystrad Mynach 3 times, passing the hospital on the way, before asking for directions. There was nothing to indicate the building was a hospital.
Is this some kind of 1984 experience?. Jeff Cuthbert was one of the active promoters of the new hospital, any mistakes in the planning,layout, organisationand operation of the hospital should be laid at his, and the Labour Party`s door because it was their project and part of his scheme to succeed Wayne David as MP.
The problem is John Owen that even though this debacle clearly lays at the feet of the Labour politicians who planned and created this cottage hospital, all local opposition elected Councillors and opposition Appointed Assembly Members have all lauded the magnificence of this monolithic treatment centre, and will not have a word said against it, that`s the problem, no meaningful scrutiny, and no constructive critisism of the things that are clearly missing and deficient from this `Hospital`.
I`ve always tried but, not always succeded in speaking truth to power. While, I can understand the reaction of the current administration in praising the new hospital, I mean who can be against a hospital. I think they have failed on two tests,on the Hans Christian Andersen test, like, the Emporer in this case, actually has no clothes, and the Geaoge Orwell 1984 Test, actually believing Big Brorher when he says "less is more" and "worse is better". Because that is what we have, something that is less and worse then the Miners.On the other hand the current administration they should have done a Laurel and Hardy, and said "That another fine mess you`ve gotten me into", since they were in opposition at the plans for the hospital were drawn up. So they were not responsible for commissioning the new hospital and setting the specification for the Hospital, that responsibilty lies in the hands of the Labour Party and Jeff Cuthbert. To me it seems the organisation responsible for the specification of the design of the hospital can have had no previous experience in the field, or, if they had they misled the public as the role of the hospital. Part of the blame must also be due to the multiple reorganisation of, and explosion of managers in, the Health Service coupled with appointment of Party faithful to the Trusts. The best thing that could be said about the hospital is that it is an exercise in pure Keynesian economics, job creation for the sake of job creation, akin to his idea that it was worth paying a man to dig a hole and then fill it in, on the grounds it gave the man work. however I dont think the word Keynes, along with the word, Socailism in in the current Handbook for Aspiring Labour Politicians.
I am very dissapointed in our new hospital ,a friend took her child there on Sunday and had to wait two hours for a doctor to arrive there was no Dr on site,looking at the facilities they offer is very disappointing .http://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/localservices/ViewLocalService.aspx?id=7516&p=Cf83%201ay it seems we will still have to travel to the Heath Hospital or the Royal Gwent.