Charitable fundraisers in Pembrokeshire have been praised for their unstinting dedication this week as plans for a new purpose-built £950,000 chemotherapy day unit at Withybush Hospital were approved by Hywel Dda University Health Board.

The much needed-facility to provide a better environment for patients undergoing chemotherapy is aimed to be open by the end of the year, offering new facilities not currently available in the hospital.

The fundraisers from Adam’s Bucketful of Hope, Withybush Hospital CDU Appeal and the Health Board’s Pembrokeshire Cancer Services Fund have together raised more than £670,000 towards the custom designed unit to be situated on Ward 5 of the hospital. The University Health Board has also pledged an extra £286,000 to the CDU scheme.

In addition, more than £312,000 has been raised for Phase 2 of the project to rebuild Ward 10 by the Health Board’s Pembrokeshire Cancer Services Fund and Elly’s Ward 10 Flag appeal.

Said chief executive Steve Moore: “It is thanks to the hard work and dedication of these fundraisers, together with the huge generosity of the people of Pembrokeshire, that these valuable improvements to our chemotherapy day facilities can now commence. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, and express our heartfelt gratitude, to all those people who have worked so hard, and contributed so benevolently, to this much-needed facility for Pembrokeshire cancer and haematology patients.”

The new unit has been designed by CDU ward nurses and doctors and shaped by health care professionals, hospital managers, fundraisers and key stakeholders who have all been actively involved in creating its design which has now been integrated with wider improvements planned for Withybush Hospital. A bespoke engagement programme was also undertaken with staff, patients, their families and local charitable organisations which included a patient survey, face to face interviews with patients, families and carers, a staff survey, meetings and a stakeholder event and tour.

As a result of this feedback, the new scheme offers a number of improvements for patients, plus additional facilities currently not available at Withybush Hospital, including:

• Five multi-purpose consulting rooms for haematology clinics, oncology outpatients, specialist treatments, research-led clinics and CNS nurses and to provide extra privacy for patients.

• Fifteen treatment bays, comprised of 12 chairs and three beds, with potential to expand to 16 chairs, five beds and an isolation room in the future.

• Video-conferencing facilities to enable telemedicine clinics with specialist oncologists off-site so reducing the need for staff and patients to travel

• A multi-disciplinary room for clinical and nursing staff

• A dedicated counselling, quiet room

• A new patient reception point with corridors leading to separate waiting areas for outpatients and day patients to sensitively manage people with different needs

• Improved staff facilities that co-locate research and oncology nurses

The new plans provide an appropriate environment to deliver care at different stages of the disease and protect prime medical space next to Ward 10 for medical services. This will allow for the expansion of medical beds in the hospital, improve the medical day unit, discharge lounge and surgical facilities and provide wide-reaching benefits for patients of Pembrokeshire and attracting clinical staff to the hospital.

Said haematology nurse practitioner Tracey Thomas: “This unit means so much to the people of Pembrokeshire. Everyone is delighted with this positive outcome. It is an amazing testament to the partnership working of staff, patients and local charities and will make so much difference to our patients who deserve a modern, welcoming, fit for purpose environment for their care and treatment. Our staff are grateful for everyone’s contribution including that of our patients past and present, the charities that have fundraised so tirelessly and everyone involved in bringing this facility to fruition.”

Director of operations and deputy chief executive, Joe Teape, added: “This is a very exciting project and a very exciting day after so much hard work to get the right facilities and services for cancer patients in Pembrokeshire. Now that the plans have been agreed with staff and stakeholders, we want to move forward with the detailed design and tendering process as quickly as possible so that we can fulfil our commitment to the public we serve and those who have waited so long for this. Once this process is complete, we hope to commence work in early summer with an anticipated completion by the end of this year.”

The Health Board aims to commence a similar improvement scheme at Bronglais General Hospital.