The new £172m Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr hospital has been given its official opening.
The Minister for Health and Social Services Lesley Griffiths cut the ribbon on Monday to officially open the new hospital.
Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr opened for patients last year and replaced the 85-year-old Caerphilly Miners’ Hospital, Ystrad Mynach Hospital, Ty Sirhowy Mental Health Unit and smaller community hospitals in the area.
However, the public has yet to take the hospital to its heart with many criticising it because of a lack of an A&E department and has led to confusion over its services.
Blackwood Labour councillor Nigel Dix has previously labelled it a “cottage hospital” due to a lack of emergency service.
Opening the hospital Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said: “I am delighted to officially open Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr. The services available under this one roof are invaluable to the residents in the local area, not least in reducing the time patients used to have to travel to access such services.
“The NHS is part of the fabric of our society, and the innovative way Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr will benefit this community is indicative of the changes needed to protect the NHS in Wales. From having a GP out-of-hours service in the same building as the Minor Injuries Unit, which is available 24 hours a day, and the Emergency Assessment Unit can only make sense.
“The layout of the building must be commended. The standard of care demonstrated here is exemplary and the people of the Rhymney Valley can be justifiably proud of this wonderful hospital.”
The hospital has 269 beds, all in single en-suite rooms and has a 24-hour local emergency centre for minor injuries, a GP out-of-hours service, integrated mental health unit and provides day surgery, and diagnostic, outpatient and therapy services.
David Jenkins, chair of Aneurin Bevan Health Board added: “The Health Board is delighted the Minister for Health and Social Services has today officially opened our new hospital, Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr.
“The hospital opened its doors to patients in November and has very quickly become a key part of our overall approach to deliver high quality hospital and community services to local people.
“In addition to providing hospital care and services, Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr also provides a central hub for community services in the county borough. Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr provides exactly the right modern environment to support high quality patient centred services.”
Cllr Harry Andrews, Labour’s group leader on Caerphilly County Borough, was the council leader when it decided to move offices to make way for the hospital site. That decision ultimately led to the council’s new headquarters at Ty Penalta.
He said: “I am proud to have been one of many people who campaigned over many years for a new hospital and now at last it is a reality.
“As the Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council in 2006 I was pleased that we were able to assist with making the site available to ensure that the contract for the hospital was let prior to the Economic Downturn to allow the project to proceed on a tight timescale.”
Caerphilly’s Labour AM Jeff Cuthbert said: “After much anticipation, the hospital finally got up and running last year thanks to the hard work of all involved, including Aneurin Bevan Health Board and the Welsh Government. This investment shows our commitment to a first-class NHS serving the people of Caerphilly and the Rhymney Valley.”
I wish our elected representatives would stop calling this assessment centre a 'Hospital'. Hospitals are places where people get treated when they have been involved in industrial accidents, car crashes, have suffered a heart attack, etc. So far only Cllr. Dix is the only voice I have heard that sings in harmony with the public, when he calls it a "Glorified cottage hospital."
I agree!!!!!!!!!!