Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin provides care for patients / Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin yn ddarparu gofal i gleifion

Carmarthen’s field hospital Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin has welcomed its first patients, providing care and support for those who no longer need medical input but still need some care prior to going home.

A small number of patients (non-COVID) have been moved from Glangwili Hospital to Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin where they will be cared for by an experienced team of nurses, therapists and a resident consultant.

*Please note Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin does not have an emergency department or any other walk-in service and should not be accessed by members of our community. Visiting is restricted as per all other hospitals but health care staff can help connect patients and their families, carers and friends.

Field hospitals have been established in each of the three counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire as a precautionary measure to enable to NHS to respond to the current COVID pandemic. This is the first time one of the hospitals has been used for patient care.

Dr Meinir Jones, clinical lead for the field hospitals and transformation, explained: “Whilst the number of COVID patients in our hospitals is currently reducing, our hospitals are getting busier with other medical activity and we are seeing more people. This activity has reached the level at which we agreed we would need additional capacity from the field hospitals. This level was set according to several considerations including the need to have the capacity to admit COVID patients to the main acute hospitals in line with demand, being able to have the right number of patients to adhere to current infection prevention measures and new clinical guidelines, and to safely reinstate some other urgent and critical planned procedures for our patients.”

Staffing for Ysbty Enfys Caerfyrddin has been made possible thanks to the flexibility of current health care staff in Hywel Dda, some of whom are temporarily working in different roles or increased hours; as well previous members of staff returning to work and additional recruitment.

The patient experience team will also be closely involved in the project to monitor and ensure the patient experience in the field hospitals is positive and supportive to their recovery.

Dr Jones said: “Opening up Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin will release some capacity in Glangwili Hospital and support the reinstating of other urgent planned procedures. We are acutely aware of the impact postponements have had on patients and their quality of life.”

Other field hospitals in the three counties are available to respond quickly and flexibly should there be another peak in COVID cases that place demand on our services. The decision to open the Carmarthen facility, based at the leisure centre, was based on it being geographically central to more Hywel Dda residents than other sites.

Acute hospitals due to their intensive care capacity, access to theatres and supplies such as oxygen, and the support network around the hospital, are best placed to deal with patients who need more acute medical intervention and so will continue to be the primary sites for acutely unwell patients (both COVID and non-COVID).

As well as the field hospitals, additional bed capacity is also available in our community hospitals where there are beds. The intention is to continue to use these facilities for non-COVID patients. Should we see any rise in COVID cases, the field hospitals would care for COVID patients exclusively or be safely split to care for both COVID and non-COVID patients.

Currently due to the nature of demand, Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin will be used for ‘step down’ from hospital – those who need a supported discharge back home or through support from social services – and potentially step up if there is concern that patients based in the community need additional support.

Other field hospitals are currently not in use (‘hibernating’) but could be stood up if necessary. Their use will be continually reviewed according to NHS need but also potential changes of restrictions in Wales.

Andrew Carruthers, Director of Operations at Hywel Dda UHB said: “Central to our development of the field hospitals has been the flexibility they could allow us to be able to manage capacity and demand throughout this pandemic.

“COVID unfortunately is not going to simply go away, and so we need to base our plans not just on how we manage COVID patients, but also how we can restart other services and provide continuity of care across the system during the next 12 months or longer.

“Both our planning and delivery is and will continue to be based on national and local clinical advice and with the ultimate objective of keeping our population as safe as possible when they need to access our services for care.

“We are extremely grateful to these patients and their families for working with us and allowing us to protect our acute hospital beds, while also providing high quality care in these new settings.”

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Mae Ysbyty maes Caerfyrddin sef Ysbyty Enfys wedi croesawu ei gleifion cyntaf, gan ddarparu gofal a chefnogaeth i’r rhai nad oes angen mewnbwn meddygol arnynt mwyach ond sydd angen rhywfaint o ofal o hyd cyn mynd adref.

Mae nifer fach o gleifion (nad ydynt yn COVID) wedi cael eu symud o Ysbyty Glangwili i Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin lle byddant yn derbyn gofal gan dîm profiadol o nyrsys, therapyddion ac ymgynghorydd preswyl.

* Sylwch nad oes gan Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin adran achosion brys nac unrhyw wasanaeth cerdded i mewn arall ac ni ddylai aelodau o’n cymuned gael mynediad iddo. Mae ymweld yn gyfyngedig fel pob ysbyty arall ond gall staff gofal iechyd helpu i gysylltu cleifion a’u teuluoedd, gofalwyr a ffrindiau.

Mae ysbytai maes wedi’u sefydlu ym mhob un o’r tair sir, sef Sir Gaerfyrddin, Ceredigion a Sir Benfro fel mesur rhagofal i alluogi’r GIG i ymateb i’r pandemig COVID presennol. Dyma’r tro cyntaf i un o’r ysbytai gael ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer gofal cleifion.

Esboniodd Dr Meinir Jones, arweinydd clinigol yr ysbytai maes a thrawsnewid: “Er bod nifer y cleifion COVID yn ein hysbytai yn lleihau ar hyn o bryd, mae ein hysbytai yn prysuro gyda gweithgaredd meddygol arall ac rydym yn gweld mwy o bobl. Mae’r gweithgaredd hwn wedi cyrraedd y lefel y cytunwyd arni y byddai angen capasiti ychwanegol arnom o’r ysbytai maes. Gosodwyd y lefel hon yn ôl sawl ystyriaeth gan gynnwys yr angen i fod â’r gallu i dderbyn cleifion COVID i’r prif ysbytai acíwt yn unol â’r galw, gan allu cael y nifer cywir o gleifion i gadw at fesurau atal heintiau cyfredol a chanllawiau clinigol newydd, ac adfer rhai gweithdrefnau brys a critigol eraill ar gyfer ein cleifion yn ddiogel.”

Mae staffio Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin wedi’i wneud yn bosibl diolch i hyblygrwydd y staff gofal iechyd presennol yn Hywel Dda, y mae rhai ohonynt yn gweithio dros dro mewn rolau gwahanol neu weithio mwy o oriau; yn ogystal a cyn aelodau o staff yn dychwelyd i’r gwaith a recriwtio ychwanegol.

Bydd y tîm Profiad y Claf hefyd yn ymwneud yn agos â’r prosiect i fonitro a sicrhau bod profiad cleifion yn yr ysbytai maes yn gadarnhaol ac yn gefnogol i’w hadferiad.

Dywedodd Dr Jones: “Bydd agor Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin yn rhyddhau rhywfaint o’r capasiti yn Ysbyty Glangwili ac yn gymorth i ailsefydlu gweithdrefnau brys eraill sydd wedi’u cynllunio. Rydym yn ymwybodol iawn o’r oedi o ran effaith y gohirio ar gleifion ac ansawdd eu bywyd.”

Mae ysbytai maes eraill yn y tair sir ar gael i ymateb yn gyflym ac yn hyblyg pe bai uchafbwynt arall mewn achosion COVID sy’n gosod y galw ar ein gwasanaethau. Roedd y penderfyniad i agor cyfleuster Caerfyrddin, a oedd wedi’i leoli yn y ganolfan hamdden, yn seiliedig ar y broses o fod yn ganolog yn ddaearyddol i fwy o breswylwyr Hywel Dda na safleoedd eraill.

Mae ysbytai acíwt oherwydd eu capasiti gofal dwys, mynediad i theatrau a chyflenwadau megis ocsigen, a’r rhwydwaith cymorth o amgylch yr ysbyty, yn y sefyllfa orau i ddelio â chleifion y mae arnynt angen ymyriad meddygol mwy acíwt ac felly byddant yn parhau i fod y safleoedd sylfaenol ar gyfer cleifion sy’n wael iawn (yn rhai COVID a di COVID).

Yn ogystal â’r ysbytai maes, mae mwy o welyau ar gael hefyd yn ein hysbytai cymunedol lle ceir gwelyau. Y bwriad yw parhau i ddefnyddio’r cyfleusterau hyn ar gyfer cleifion nad ydynt yn rhai COVID. Pe byddem yn gweld unrhyw gynnydd mewn achosion COVID, byddai’r ysbytai maes yn gofalu am gleifion COVID yn unig neu’n cael eu rhannu’n ddiogel i ofalu am gleifion COVID a rhai nad ydynt yn COVID.

Ar hyn o bryd oherwydd natur y galw, bydd Ysbyty Enfys Caerfyrddin yn cael ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer ‘ cam i lawr ‘ o’r ysbyty-y rheiny sydd angen rhyddhad wedi’i gefnogi yn ôl adref neu drwy gefnogaeth gan y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol – ac o bosibl yn camu i fyny os oes pryder bod angen cymorth ychwanegol ar gleifion yn y gymuned.

Mae ysbytai maes eraill yn ‘ cysgu ‘ ar hyn o bryd ond gellid eu defnyddio os oes angen. Adolygir eu defnydd yn barhaus yn ôl anghenion y GIG ond hefyd newidiadau posibl i gyfyngiadau yng Nghymru.

Dywedodd Andrew Carruthers, Cyfarwyddwr Gweithrediadau Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda: “yn ganolog i ddatblygiad y maes ysbytai mae’r hyblygrwydd y gallent ei ganiatáu i ni allu rheoli capasiti a galw drwy gydol y pandemig hwn.

“Yn anffodus nid yw COVID yn mynd i ddiflannu, ac felly mae angen i ni seilio ein cynlluniau nid yn unig ar sut rydym yn rheoli cleifion COVID, ond hefyd sut y gallwn ailgychwyn gwasanaethau eraill a darparu parhad gofal ar draws y system yn ystod y 12 mis nesaf neu fwy.

“Mae ein gwaith cynllunio a chyflawni yn seiliedig ar gyngor clinigol cenedlaethol a lleol a byddwn yn parhau i wneud hynny, gyda’r nod yn y pen draw o sicrhau bod ein poblogaeth mor ddiogel â phosibl pan fydd angen iddynt ddefnyddio ein gwasanaethau gofal.

“Rydym yn hynod ddiolchgar i’r cleifion hyn a’u teuluoedd am weithio gyda ni ac am ein galluogi i ddiogelu ein gwelyau acíwt mewn ysbytai, gan ddarparu gofal o ansawdd uchel yn y lleoliadau newydd hyn hefyd.”