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Nevill Hall Hospital minor injuries unit to shut overnight

BBC Nevill Hall HospitalBBC
The unit at Nevill Hall Hospital sees on average one person a night, say health officials

Health chiefs have approved the overnight closure of two nurse-led minor injuries units.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board backed the plan at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny.

It has previously operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The board also confirmed that the overnight closure of the minor injuries unit at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Ystrad Mynach is made permanent, after it was introduced during the Covid pandemic.

The board said Nevill Hall sees on average just one person a night, and officials said they had to ensure staff were seeing a sufficient number of patients to maintain their skills.

Patients will instead need to attend the unit at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport 14 miles (22km) away.

A consultation on the plan to close the Abergavenny unit at night prompted more than 2,000 responses and 5,182 people to sign a petition calling for it to be saved, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

But Leanne Watkins, the board's chief operating officer, said the closure should go forward as no significant new information had come forward which meant it should change its plans.

The units are intended to support the emergency department at the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran, which receives the most seriously injured and sick patients from across the area.

The board said it would introduce an informal "safety net" at both hospitals so anyone attending while the units are closed can have a basic assessment and be given advice on what they should do next.

What should patients do if they need help?

  • Contact the 111 out of hours number
  • Attend the emergency unit at the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran
  • Wait until the unit reopens at 07:00 the next morning

However health officials stressed the safety net was intended to deal with people who have attended by mistake rather than being a regular service they could rely on.

Getty Images Ysbyty Ystrad FawrGetty Images
The unit Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr initially closed overnight during the pandemic

The report also acknowledged a "majority of responses" expressed concern about the Nevill Hall closure, and said it would have a "detrimental impact on patient care in the hospital's catchment area".

Patient watchdog Llais has not objected to the plans but has suggested the board should instead refer to the reduction as "new opening times".

Officials were also told increased travel time and costs for patients going to other hospitals would have an impact, "especially on those currently struggling with inflation as well as other areas of social deprivation".

Ms Watkins said from her experience "patients are willing to travel a bit further for the right level of treatment and the board also needs to make sure people know where they should go and for what treatment."

Concerns had been raised about how people could get to the unit in Newport and Ms Watkins said the consultation had also shown there was a lack of understanding of "navigating the emergency care system".