Hywel Dda University Health Board and Pembrokeshire County Council continue to review the care and support provided from South Pembrokeshire Hospital Health and Social Care Resource Centre to consider if any improvements or changes are required to meet patient and customer needs.

The review is considering services and activity that is jointly funded and both organisations are informally talking to staff, patients, partners and stakeholders about their needs and ideas about future service provision.

This piece of work involves a comprehensive review of:

• Day care and rehabilitation/reablement for adults, including therapy input.

• Inpatient services which include 35 health and five social beds.

• Support services including administration, estates, hotel services and transport.

• Accommodation space for health and social care staff and provision within the area for visiting services.

The project group, which meets monthly, has representation from doctors, therapists, medicines management, health and social care management, finance, human resources, estates, third sector providers, wider staff representation and representation from Hywel Dda Community Health Council, Friends of South Pembrokeshire Hospital and unions.

The review will consider what current service models exist and how they are performing, consider if there is potential for change and look at alternative models of care; this will be achieved through three workstreams.

The workstreams, whose membership consists of clinical and operational staff, continue to meet fortnightly to focus on the following elements of care currently provided at the hospital:

1. Day care; 2. Estates and facilities; 3. Inpatients.

Staff who work at the hospital are able to view the minutes from each workstream and project group meeting, which are held in the General Office. Staff can also call in to the office to talk to a member of the project board every Friday.

Director of operations and deputy chief executive of the Health Board, Joe Teap,e explained: “We know that South Pembrokeshire Hospital Health and Social Care Resource Centre is a much loved and valued service within the local community. It’s really important that we take a careful look at the service model in the facility to ensure it is best meeting need and is having a positive impact for patients, including their outcomes and their experience of care.

“We also can’t ignore the external environment we are working within in health and social care and the future demographics of our population. This makes it really important to ensure our services are sustainable and make the best use of our resources for maximum patient benefit.”

Mr. Teape stressed: “At this stage we are not consulting on any service change, but rather taking a close and prudent look at our services to ensure they are working in the best interests of our patients and population and to consider any potential changes and improvements that could be made.

“We want to do this with our patients, staff and partners using the principles of co-production and options to ensure that models are inclusive and the right solutions for this particular locality and Pembrokeshire.”

Pam Marsden, director of social services and leisure for Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “As a local authority we are working closely with the Health Board. We want to ensure services continue to improve, are value for money and meet need. Both agencies need to make the best use of resources. We are looking forward to hearing from all stakeholders about this important facility.”