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£68m unveiled for health and care hubs

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This is part of a move to bring more health and social services under one roof in communities

A £68m network of 19 health and care centres across Wales - bringing NHS and community services together under one roof - has been announced.

It includes 11 new hubs and GP centres, as well as refurbishing existing clinics and health centres.

Councils, housing associations and the voluntary sector will be involved in the hubs, along with NHS services.

The health secretary said it would make "a significant difference" to the care people receive closer to their homes.

The integrated health and care centres will be delivered across the seven health boards in Wales by 2021.

Map of health centres
  • Abertawe Bro Morgannwg: Penclawdd health centre; Murton community clinic, Swansea; Bridgend town centre primary care centre; and Swansea wellness centre
  • Aneurin Bevan: Tredegar health and wellbeing centre; Newport East resource centre
  • Betsi Cadwaladr: Central Denbighshire clinic/hospital redevelopment and Waunfawr primary care centre, Gwynedd
  • Cardiff and Vale: Maelfa Health Centre Hub; Cogan Hub Development and Pentyrch Surgery
  • Cwm Taf: Tonypandy health centre; Dewi Sant phase 2 development and Mountain Ash primary care centre
  • Hywel Dda: Aberaeron integrated care centre; Fishguard health centre; Cross Hands integrated care centre
  • Powys: Machynlleth - reconfiguration and extension to create a primary and community care hub; Llanfair Caereinion primary care centre

It is part of an overall move to get GPs, pharmacists, therapists and even social care staff to work more closely together.

There are already 64 so-called GP clusters being developed.

Dr Charlotte Jones, chairwoman of the BMA's GP committee in Wales, wants to know more detail about how the funding was decided.

"It's difficult to assess the impact this will have without knowing the intricacies of how it will work," she said.

"It's concerning to us that the initial reaction from local members suggests that they haven't been involved in the design of the scheme."

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said: "People in the 21st Century expect to be treated in modern, advanced health care centres that deliver a wide range of services all under one roof.

"We agree, and by targeting investment in this way it is hoped that opportunities for delivering service change can be delivered upon."

The Welsh Government is calling it the biggest targeted investment in primary and community care infrastructure and said it was a key commitment in its programme for government.