A petition was set up by residents concerned about palliative care provisions at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon in Mountain Ash
A petition has been set up concerning palliative care at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon in Mountain Ash(Image: Western Mail)
A health board has responded to concerns a palliative care unit at a local hospital will close after 3,000 people signed a petition calling for it to be saved. Local residents are concerned about the “essential service” being removed from Ysbyty Cwm Cynon in Mountain Ash and fear those in the Cynon and Merthyr Valleys could be forced to travel further if their loved ones need end-of-life care.
The health board has confirmed specialist palliative care has been formally paused at the unit due to “significant medical staffing challenges” on ward six at the Rhondda Cynon Taf hospital.
However a spokesman for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said the ward will continue to provide end-of-life care and clarified the situation with the ward has not changed in almost two years.
The health board said the ward, which was previously consultant-led, has not operated as a specialist palliative care unit since January 2024.
This change was formally recognised last week when the ward, which has eight beds, was designated as providing end-of-life and general healthcare. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here
This formal change will be subject to consultation with further detail on this expected in the coming weeks.
The health board added only a “very small number of people” require specialist palliative care which will continue to be provided at the Prince Charles, Royal Glamorgan, and Princess of Wales Hospitals.
Dom Hurford, executive medical director at the health board, said: “We continue to provide end-of-life care at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon. The change relates to specialist palliative care which supports people with very complex life-limiting conditions not only at the very end of life but throughout the course of an illness to manage symptoms and control pain.
“Only a very small number of people require this specialist care with the majority needing general end-of-life support at home or in general community hospital beds including at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon.
“Specialist palliative care is consultant-led, which means expert doctors oversee the care of these patients. As a result of significant medical staffing challenges ward six at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon has not operated as a specialist palliative care unit since January 2024 with patients instead receiving their care at Prince Charles Hospital and Y Bwthyn at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital.
“Providing specialist palliative care on a site without the appropriate senior clinical expertise would not be safe or in the best interests of patients. Whilst we understand that some people are concerned about this change we will not compromise on the safety of care for our patients.
“We listen to our patients and their families and we know that most people want to spend their final days at home surrounded by loved ones. Providing more end-of-life care in the community, when this is appropriate and safe, will enable us to fulfil the wishes of these patients. Likewise providing specialist palliative care in Prince Charles Hospital, Y Bwthyn at Royal Glamorgan Hospital, and Y Bwthyn Newydd at Princess of Wales Hospital means these small number of patients will receive the best possible care from the right teams in the right place.
“This is about providing our patients with the best and safest care. That is, and will always be, our priority.”