Health Minister Edwina Hart has approved the case for a new integrated health and social care centre in Builth Wells.
The new Welsh Assembly Government-funded development will cost no more than £4.9million and will be designed to replace Builth Wells Community Hospital.
The new purpose-built facility will enhance the services and update the facilities.
The services planned include:
- 12 new en-suite rooms for health and social care
- Extending community nursing hours into the evening to enable more support in people’s homes;
- A re-ablement service that will provide physiotherapy and occupational therapy to assist people to adapt to remain at home after illness;
- Faster access to social care services to provide a rapid response care service for people in urgent need at home; and,
- Working with the third sector to provide ‘hospice at home’ services.
It is expected that the new development will be completed in December 2012. The preferred location for the development is at Brynhyfryd Care Home site at Builth Wells.
Mrs Hart said:
“This new integrated health and social care centre, once completed, will be a vast improvement on the current old facilities.
“Our aim is to provide more services closer to people’s homes, reducing the need for people to travel to major hospitals. This development brings together a range of services under one roof, fostering a closer working relationship between services, which simplifies and speeds up access to services for patients.
“The new development, which is in line with the aims of our Rural Health Plan and of our work to enhance primary and community services, will greatly improve the environment for patients and staff, providing opportunities for further expansion in the future.”
Chris Mann, Chair of Powys Teaching Health Board, added:
“I am delighted that we can now proceed with this eagerly awaited developed which has been the result of extensive discussions with the local community. The new facility will enable us to bring together services provided by Powys County Council, the Health Board and the third sector. It marks a significant advance in our approach to joint working across the public sector for the benefit of Powys residents.”
