Health chiefs from the three counties on Wednesday welcomed news that the Minister for Health and Social Services has approved the merger of Pembrokeshire and Derwen, Ceredigion and Mid Wales and Carmarthenshire NHS Trusts.
Mrs. Edwina Hart has said that the new NHS Trust will be officially formed on April 1, 2008. The name of the new Trust is currently under Ministerial consideration.
Said project board director Keith Thomson: "This approval follows careful consideration by all three Trusts Boards of the main benefits and concerns to emerge from the recent consultation with Community Health Councils and Trust staff organisations. These were considered within the context of the original case for change, which is still strong, stakeholder views and comments and the future clinical and financial viability of the three existing organisations.
"Having considered all these factors, the view remains that the creation of a single Trust will best enable the delivery of improved, sustainable services to patients across the three counties in the future."
All three Trust chief executives are supportive of the merger, believing it to be the best way to improve patient care, streamline organisational arrangements and pool the considerable expertise and experience of staff to help support and grow services across the three counties.
Said the chief executive of Ceredigion & Mid Wales NHS Trust, Allison Williams: "This merger will allow us to provide a better quality, more seamless service by removing administrative boundaries between the three Trusts and creating a unified organisation. It is an opportunity to create a stronger, more innovative organisation capable of delivering 21st century health care to patients across the three counties."
Acting chief executive for Pembrokeshire & Derwen NHS Trust, Caroline Oakley, added: "A single Trust will be able to explore opportunities for new ways of working that make the best use of the wide range of expertise, experience and resources across the three counties, cutting bureaucracy and releasing more resources to front-line services. The need to modernise working practices and to be more efficient and effective in the provision of equitable and sustainable quality care is a continuing priority that would not be easy to resolve by three smaller Trusts."
Paul Barnett, chief executive of Carmarthenshire NHS Trust, agreed: "Working together as one offers huge opportunities to develop a comprehensive range of first class services. It will also allow us to share good practice and clinical audit results which will develop appropriate clinical governance across the whole Trust. In addition, having a larger Trust will enable us to develop wider research interests and take forward new opportunities."
The three chief executives have also given assurances that staff will be kept fully informed of developments as they occur.
They said: "We are conscious that there will be many questions, so arrangements are being made to keep staff, partner organisations, patients and the public up to date with developments. We recognise that this is a challenging time and will be working closely with our staff organisations to ensure a positive way forward in creating high quality, seamless and sustainable health and social care services for the people of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire."