£48m Llandudno Hospital improvement scheme to get underway next year

Oct 27 2011 North Wales Weekly News

AN AMBITIOUS £48m scheme to redevelop Llandudno Hospital will start next year – as long as the Welsh Government approves the funding.

And within the next decade the hospital will become a centre of excellence for North Wales in two specialised treatments.

Business plans will shortly be prepared for a new Minor Injuries Unit and Women’s Health Centre at the hospital and it’s expected these will be put before government officials for approval by March.

“If the business cases are successful we hope work will start by the end of 2012,” said the project manager for the scheme, Ellen Greer.

Other plans for the hospital include a rheumatology hub which it is hoped will open in existing premises in spring 2012.

And at some time in the next 10 years funding will be sought for a highly specialised in-patient acquired brain injury unit which will serve all of Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Anglesey.

“The rheumatology hub can be funded out of the health board’s existing budget in the next financial year, and will initially be an education and training centre for medical staff dealing with this speciality.

“In time we envisage it will also deliver specialist care in some aspects of rheumatology for patients from throughout North Wales,” explained Ms Greer, who is head of planning for the Betsi Cadwaldwr University Health Board.

The new Minor Injuries Unit will be built adjacent to the existing facility and will open up space for more consultants’ out-patients clinics to be held at the hospital.

It will be larger than the existing MIU which treats patients whose injuries aren’t serious enough to warrant attendance at the Accident and Emergency departments at Ysbytau Glan Clwyd or Gwynedd.

The Women’s Health Centre will see Breast Test Wales, which carries out breast cancer screening, move from the Bodnant unit on Maesdu Road into the hospital.

“Breast surgery is already carried out at the hospital and the new centre will mean that patients will be in the same building for diagnosis, surgery, and after care which we believe will be much appreciated,” added Ms Greer.

Kitty Lister, secretary of the Llandudno Hospital League of Friends, said they were fully supportive of the developments which guarantee the long term future of the hospital.

The League is represented on the project board which is pushing the plans forward.

“They show that the hospital continues to have an important role to play,” she commented.