Concerns were raised when metal shutters appeared on the windows of the hospital
Gorseinon Hospital in Swansea(Image: Copyright Unknown)
A Welsh health board has reassured locals a hospital will not be closing after concerns were raised when metal shutters appeared on its windows. Swansea Bay University Health Board said a deal to temporarily transfer beds from Gorseinon Hospital to Singleton Hospital had been extended but didn’t change future plans for the site.
The health board said the shutters were an important part of safeguarding the hospital and protecting it against vandals and “urban explorers”. But they stressed they were committed to it having a “vibrant and important future”.
In September 2025 patients and staff were transferred from the Gorseinon site’s West Ward to the larger Singleton site in a bid to address long-standing safety and workforce concerns.
A board report said “significant and repeated” concerns had been raised by West Ward staff since February 2025 and that staff shortages meant sometimes half of those working there were agency or hospital bank staff.
The ward provides “step down” beds for people from Swansea and Neath Port Talbot who are able to leave an acute setting but aren’t yet able to return home. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here.
The health board directed concerned locals to an earlier statement which read: “At a special meeting of Swansea Bay University Health Board today (February 26) it was agreed to extend the temporary transfer of beds from Gorseinon Hospital to Singleton Hospital for a further six months.
“The beds were originally transferred to Singleton in October for patient safety reasons and were due to remain there until March 31. Today’s decision means that the beds will now continue to stay at Singleton until September 30, 2026.
“However, it is important to note that Gorseinon Hospital remains open. We have no plans whatsoever to close the hospital.
“Since the beds were transferred in October we have made a lot of progress in resolving safety concerns. However, we would not yet have been in a position to safely return the beds to Gorseinon by the end of March. Full details of the progress made and remaining challenges are outlined in more detail in the papers for the special board.
“This extension does not change the health board’s commitment to Gorseinon Hospital which we continue to see as having a vibrant and important future.”
The health board added that the role of the hospital going forward will be considered as part of a wider clinical services plan looking at how they can deliver clinical services safely sustainably. They said they would use the next six months to speak to staff, stakeholders and the public as part of their services plan.