Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething, today (Thursday) announced that £3m funding will be provided to modernise haematology, oncology and palliative care services at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest.

The funding will enable the hospital’s existing Ward 10 to be modernised to improve safety, clinical quality and provide a better environment for patients and staff.

The former Ward 9 area will also be developed to serve as a ward area to allow Ward 10 patients to be cared for while the building works are carried out on the existing Ward 10, which will close for refurbishment.

The local community in Pembrokeshire has played a significant part in helping to raise funds to improve these facilities with over £450,000 being raised to date by the Health Board’s Pembrokeshire Cancer Services Fund and Elly’s Ward 10 Flag Appeal.

Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething said: “I am very happy to able to announce the £3.15m funding to complete the improvements to Wards 9 and 10 at Withybush Hospital.

“This project will transform these services at the hospital to provide a modern fit-for-purpose environment for staff, patients and their families.

“It was a pleasure to meet with staff and the Neville family today. Elly’s fundraising efforts have been truly inspirational and the new facility will be a tribute to her hard work and dedication.”

Hywel Dda University Health Board Chair, Bernardine Rees OBE, said: “This is fantastic news for Pembrokeshire. I wish to pay tribute to our staff, fundraisers and partners, for their part in reaching this milestone in the project, particularly Elly’s Ward 10 Flag Appeal.

We look forward to moving forward at pace now to make these improvements for our local population.”

Lyn Neville, Elly’s father, said: “On behalf of Elly’s Ward 10 Flag Appeal we are very pleased that the funding has been given for Ward 10 which will be another step towards providing excellent cancer services for Pembrokeshire.

“On a personal note after many years of campaigning for Ward 10 I am also very pleased that, as seen with the new Pembrokeshire Haematology and Oncology Day Unit (PHODU), patients and staff will be able to receive and deliver care in excellent new facilities.”

Work is expected to start shortly and be completed by the summer of 2019.

The new Ward 10 configuration will provide:

18 beds (of which five will be ensuite) in a superior ward environment. The single rooms will be used for patients requiring isolation facilities or greater privacy during their care; A dedicated day room for patients to socialise, receive rehabilitation, relax and have their meals; Improved overnight facilities for relatives including a dedicated relatives room; A discharge lounge to serve Ward 10 along with the hospital’s other medical wards.

The Ward 9 refurbishment element of the project will provide: A sub-pharmacy area; Treatment and clinical support functions; A decant facility for Ward 10 whilst its building works are undertaken including 14 beds, five of which would be single-bedded ensuites (two of these would be bariatric styled facilities) and a day room facility.