Stroke services at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr, are being closed owing to what the health board has described as “a severe shortage of specialist medical staff”. Services will move to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant from January, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board has said.
The health board said there were not enough staff with the training skills and experience to keep the ward open. Local MS Dawn Bowden said she would be writing to the board “to better understand how this decision has been arrived at”.
A spokesperson for Cwm Taf Health Board said the closure would take effect from January. The board said it had no choice in the face of too few staff with training and skills needed. For the latest health and Covid news, sign up to our newsletter here
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In a statement the board said: “Urgent changes are being made to stroke services run by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, to ensure patients can continue to access life-saving care and treatment. From week commencing 6 January, expert staff and services for those requiring emergency treatment and care for a stroke, will be based at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital (RGH) at Llantrisant.
“The move is being made as the health board manages a severe shortage of specialist medical staff with the training, skills and experience to safely care for patients experiencing a stroke. We recognise that this necessary change will be concerning for some. However, we must make immediate, local changes to the way in which services are provided if we are to maintain a safe service that can continue to save lives and reduce the devastating effects of stroke for as many patients as possible.
“Without making these changes, it will not be possible for our staff to continue providing this vital service for patients. Having responded to the immediate challenge with this planned urgent change, we will continue to review the provision and sustainability of urgent stroke care for patients from within the CTM footprint and beyond, and continue to inform patients and other stakeholders.
“We want to remind people that should they or a loved one experience the symptoms of a stroke, they should always call for an ambulance in the first instance. If you do attend your local hospital, any of our emergency departments will be able to assess you and provide urgent medical treatment, if required, to stabilise your stroke.”