Following the news of planning approval for the new Tenby Cottage Hospital at the town's Butts Field, detail design of rooms within the new building is now forging ahead. All room layouts are now complete and this information will be forwarded to the architects this week in order for pre-tender estimates to be checked, members of the Tenby Local Implementation Group heard at their meeting on Friday. It is anticipated that if all goes well with this process, contractors should start on site at the end of January 2005 with a completion date in April 2006. Mansel Thomas, chairman of the Local Implementation Group, stated his satisfaction with the progress to date but reminded the group that the reprovision of current services also includes obtaining beds in the independent sector. All group members stressed the importance of making sure that these beds provide as good a service as that currently provided by the Cottage Hospital and are looking forward to knowing where these beds will be located. The Local Health Board and Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust have already invited candidates to tender for these beds and a decision is expected in early November. The Local Implementation Group are becoming very involved with all aspects of the service reprovision in the locality. Accordingly, Mansel welcomed Tessa Shellen from Morgan Cole to the meeting at St. Johns Hall to give a presentation on the legalities of local groups becoming involved with statutory organisations. Tessa highlighted the change in philosophy of government and public services to have a more open policy to information sharing with the public. This is now seen as the way forward and was welcomed by the group. Roy Haggar has a key role in the Local Implementation Group in ensuring that all plans are communicated to local people. Roy informed the group that a competition for local schools to design a logo for the new Tenby Cottage Hospital on a split site is now under way and that the judging will take place by local artists Owen Thomas and Graham Hadlow on November 1. Finally, it was brought to the notice of the group that dental and podiatry services have currently been suspended at Tenby Cottage Hospital due to equipment breakdown. All members voiced concern at this reduction in a local service as patients now have to travel to Pembroke Dock until the Tenby service is resumed. This issue will be discussed with the managers of these services from the Trust. It was noted that provision for both dental services and enhanced podiatry services have been put into the plans for the new hospital. The next meeting of the Local Implementation Group will take place on November 12 at 2.30 pm in the lounge, St Johns Church, Tenby. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.
