Hywel Dda invests in making medical staff feel at home

Hywel Dda University Health Board has invested £600,000 to improve accommodation for trainee doctors at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest to create a warm and welcoming space for them to come home to after a long shift.

Trainee doctors at Withybush will not be the only ones to benefit from refurbishment, with plans to improve accommodation for trainee doctors across all Hywel Dda sites over the coming years.

Improvement work is nearing completion at Glangwili Hospital with trainee doctor accommodation – which is made up of 12 bedrooms over two floors – having already undergone a revamp. New flooring was laid last year at the Carmarthen hospital, while this year the interiors have been painted and new furniture installed.

A painting refresh has already started in Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli and there are plans to make further improvements both in Prince Philip and Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth.

The improvement plans have come about following a large-scale review of trainee doctor accommodation by the health board, which took place between July and Sept 2023.

The existing accommodation was measured against Welsh Government and British Medical Association accommodation and facilities standards.

Helen Thomas, Head of Medical Education and Professional Standards at Hywel Dda said: “The review highlighted some areas which needed improvement. This was especially the case at Withybush, where trainee doctors rely heavily upon on-site accommodation, because it is convenient and close to the hospital and also because of the lack of available properties to rent in the area.

“We hope our commitment to improving living space for trainee doctors will show that we value our medical staff which will help us recruit and retain doctors. This, in turn, will help us improve the services we provide to our patients.”

The improvement work will take place in two phases.

Phase 1, which began in April this year, is well under way and will continue until March 2025.

Eight flats in Penfro block, consisting of 32 bedrooms, along with the communal recreation room and corridors have already been repainted and given new floors and furniture.

By Spring 2025, it is expected that eight shower rooms will be created from existing bathrooms with new shower suites to be fitted in each flat, as well as the communal shower room and toilet, located on the ground floor.

A new fully fitted kitchen will be installed in the communal area, with painting, new flooring and new white goods.

Helen continued: “Bedrooms which form part of the accommodation on other sites will also be given a refresh and will be painted in a similar theme to that of the Withybush accommodation to help ensure standards of accommodation start to match up on each site.”

The second phase of the renovations at Withybush will begin in April 2025 and continue until March 2026. This work will involve a similar refurbishment programme for another of the blocks of flats.

Further works will be identified according to priority and this will be confirmed over coming months.

Mark Henwood, Interim Medical Director at Hywel Dda said:

“We are working hard to improve living spaces for trainee doctors, many of whom have moved far away from their own homes and families to work for us.

“It is important to us that our trainee doctors have a comfortable and welcoming place to come home to which can offer them some peace and privacy while they rest and study.”