Nurses 'working from car boots' after Teifi Surgery shuts

Community nurses and midwives have been working from their cars after delays leasing a closed GP surgery building.

Teifi Surgery in Llandysul shut on 31 January, but Hywel Dda University Health Board failed to lease the building in time for community health workers to use it.

Health workers have had to fill car boots with medical equipment and have no access to supplies or paperwork.

The health board said it was supporting staff.

"We would like to stress that no equipment of value or drugs are stored in these cars," a spokesman said.

Peter Skitt, county director for the health board, told a Ceredigion Community Health Council (CHC) meeting "the keys are ready for handover" and he will meet service managers in the surgery building on Monday. A temporary lease is valid for three months and clinics will be held there from next week.

He added staff had been "working in extremely difficult circumstances... in terms of having a base and getting access to stores and stock", and the number of patients affected was not significant - with the major concerns coming from staff.

Llandysul councillor Keith Evans said: "They need a space, and we know that this has been coming for three or four months so we would expect for the benefit of health care in the area that they would make sure their ducks were lined up."

A Facebook post on a community group said there was an "an ideal building sat there empty with its doors locked".

It added: "It is in the pipeline to take over the building, but for now they [the nurses and midwives] are on their own - with no guarantees of a base.

"We all try our hardest to make sure our women/patients are cared for to the highest standards, and it's not fair on everyone in the community that this is getting in the way at the moment."

Ceredigion assembly member Elin Jones said she and local MP Ben Lake were "aware the health board have a few remaining issues to resolve".

Ms Jones and Mr Lake said they had been working with the surgery and health board to create a community hub in Llandysul for the nurses, clinics and patients.

The health board said: "There has been a short delay in finalising the arrangements to lease the Teifi building as we aim to ensure services continue to be provided locally to the people of Llandysul and surrounding areas.

"We recognise that in the interim that some of our staff are working in difficult circumstances and we are supporting the staff affected and keeping them informed."