Hywel Dda Health Board: An address from our Chair, Maria Battle 

It is with familiar feelings of trepidation and hope that we watch and wait for the latest phase of the coronavirus pandemic to dissipate, and for more normal times to return.  Although the current wave has, mercifully, not led directly to the same tragic outcomes among our population that we saw in 2020/21, the impact on our staff and our ability to deliver NHS services has perhaps been even greater than at any time previously – and so we must remain vigilant and adapt to the new realities before us.

We have all learned a lot in the pandemic. I personally have learned how we all depend on each other, and how courage, self- sacrifice, care and kindness has shone through. It has been humbling and a privilege to lead your Health Board, and all the dedicated staff who care for you and each other during these times.

On 23 March 2022, the second anniversary of the first lockdown, we held a minutes’ silence together to remember all those we have lost in the last two years, and everyone who has given so much of themselves.

I remember in early March 2020 being told to expect, based on the reasonable worse-case scenario, 28,000 deaths in Wales from COVID. I was chilled to my very core. We immediately went into action, doing everything we could; we succeeded in increasing our beds by 1,000, opened nine field hospitals supported by our three outstanding local authorities; we increased our staff by 1,000, many of whom were very young and very brave, and we procured oxygen, PPE and CPAP breathing equipment – everything we needed, in fact, including the last shower block in the UK!  And all of this in six weeks: it is easy to forget.

I want to thank everyone, from the cleaners who cleaned intensive care units during uncertain times, to the porters, the cooks who fed our workforce, the doctors and nurses who carried out urgent operations and looked after patients when we were all so afraid; and at the very beginning – when PPE was in such short supply across the country – all the key workers who came in to work day after day, not knowing and not seeing this silent killer that stalked the country.

As we have come out of the worst of the pandemic, we are confronted with the horrendous and inhumane war in the Ukraine. It saddens us all deeply, and I believe builds on our anxieties of the last two years. I want to reassure you that as a Health Board we are doing all we can to welcome Ukrainian refugees to Wales in the true spirit of a nation of sanctuary, and will treat our people with the same kindness, care and compassion that defines not only the work that we do for the NHS, but as a country as a whole.

It is so important, after the last two years that we have all gone through together, and in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, that we have hope and light in the future. I think this is particularly important to our staff, most of whom are exhausted and in great need of causes for optimism.

Last week I visited the new maternity unit at Glangwili Hospital.  Staff had tears in their eyes.  After eight long years, we have a maternity unit that is world class and what staff and mothers in west Wales deserve. The care has always been wonderful, but as all parents know, the environment makes such a difference.  I saw gadgets that I wish were available when I gave birth!

I came home to Pembrokeshire be Chair of Hywel Dda almost three years ago, after holding the same position at Cardiff and Vale Health Board. I was deeply shocked at our estate, and still am. We have almost accepted it as the norm. It is not. We in west Wales, and our staff, deserve much better.

In Cardiff I opened the Childrens’ Hospital for Wales, a world class Mental Health Hospital, Hafan y Coed, an amazing Neo natal and Maternity unit and planned a Spinal Cord Unit, the new Rockwood.

Now, it’s our turn. We have an historic opportunity, unknown in west Wales, for a potential £1.3billion investment in our NHS.

We have been working with businesses and colleges to create trade apprenticeships so that our younger generation can help to build our new hospital.  We will design it with you, and create jobs in IT, estates, administration, in addition to our medical and supporting professions – providing a broad range of career options for people in our area, during and after the building and refurbishments of our estate – a real and much needed investment in our local economy, which should benefit businesses and organisations across mid and west Wales.

We are already growing our own nurses through our apprenticeship scheme, a unique project in Wales, and giving a chance to the kindest and most compassionate within our own communities to become fully qualified nurses.

Again, after returning home, I was shocked at how many vacancies we have in Hywel Dda. The cost of agency staff is unaffordable and, while we remain indebted to them for their support, we know that this is not the best staffing model to provide the care that our communities need and deserve. We can only overcome this by ushering in a new age of NHS recruitment, by becoming an outstanding employer that people are proud to come and work for, and our plans to transform the Health Board in West Wales will do that.

Our vision for a Healthier Mid and West Wales is for us to live healthy, joyful lives. To move from a service that just treats illness to one that keeps people well, prevents ill-health or worsening of ill health, and provides any help you need early on. We are working in our communities to provide more joined-up support and care as close to home as possible – which may include accessing services differently. Our hospitals also have an important role to provide quality specialist support when needed, and we want to improve hospital services, so they provide you with the very best standards and safety in care, with better outcomes for you.

To achieve our ambition, there is much to plan and prepare for, and our planned new hospital will take time. We are in the process of establishing a group that includes representatives of our community, to select an appropriate location for our new hospital. The land selection group, which will include a proportional majority of community representatives, will consider a broad range of factors in deciding upon a location – including travel times, and ability to integrate with transport networks – both current and new. We have been open with our communities that we have a number of fragile services, which means that we cannot give absolute guarantees that we are going to be able to keep everything operating as it currently is across the two hospital sites in the intervening period; however, we do not intend to make changes to A&E provision at Glangwili or Withybush Hospitals until the new hospital is built, and that will be in consultation – listening to and working with you, our public, and with our partner organisations.

As we approach the Easter holidays our services continue to be under pressure, as COVID remains present in our communities, and we welcome visitors to our beautiful part of the world.  It’s important that we all continue to take measures to stay safe from COVID.  Thank you for doing everything you can to continue to support our NHS, including accessing appropriate healthcare through the range of services available.