I've been waiting for the booklet to appear, about the changes to the regional health service, and today I picked one up outside the Chemist's. It's very clearly laid out, but the news is disappointing as Nevill Hall is being downgraded and people will have to travel further for the services they will no longer be providing.
The changes come in on November 17th, earlier than expected because Grange University Hospital near Cwmbran has opened four months early to help cope with the expected increase in Covid-19 cases over the winter.
The services which will still be available at Nevill Hall are:
The Minor Injuries Unit
Day surgery, where the patient is discharged on the same day as the operation.
Outpatient clinics
Diagnostic services - X-rays, CT scans, MRI and so on.
The Medical Assessment Unit, Enhanced Frailty Unit, and 213 inpatient beds.
Midwife-led maternity services.
Services which will no longer be available from Nevill Hall are:
Consultant-led Accident and Emergency Services (the nearest A&E for most people in the area will be Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, or County Hospital Hereford).
Children's inpatient services (again, probably Prince Charles Hospital)
Consultant-led births and Special Care Baby Unit (now at The Grange near Cwmbran)
Inpatient surgery requiring overnight stay.
For people in Hay, this probably means a greater reliance on County Hospital Hereford.
There is also a Minor Injuries Unit in Brecon and Llandrindod Wells. At the moment, the Minor Injuries Units are Appointment only - you can't just turn up. This is because of Covid-19 precautions.
There's also information available now for getting to and from hospitals on public transport, which would have been a great help to me several years ago when I was rushed to Nevill Hall with food poisoning and the staff there were somewhat at a loss to advise me how to get home (one of them suggested I go home via Monmouth - which would not have helped.) The website is www.myhealthjourney.traveline.cymru
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