We have been talking to the community of Tywyn and the surrounding area about the future of the Dyfi ward at the community hospital for some time. We are hugely grateful to the hundreds of local residents who have already shared their views with us.
Five potential scenarios or options for further consideration for the future have been developed based on the feedback so far and by working with local stakeholders and community groups in a balanced room setting. Those five options were:
- Option A: Reopen the ward as it was in 2023, without the provision of the new services developed to mitigate the impact of the temporary closure
- Option B: Maintain the current position. Which sees no beds in the Dyfi ward, while continuing to deliver the new services developed to mitigate the impact of the temporary closure. The new services are
- Tuag Adref (Homeward Bound) which aims to prevent delays for patients leaving hospital by offering support in their own home for those who are ready to leave hospital but may be waiting for a care package.
- Extended week time hours and weekend opening for the Minor Injuries Unit;
- Tywyn Wellbeing Hub; and
- The Treatment Room a service initiative created to work in conjunction with GP surgeries to offer patients a larger range of facilities in their local community. The team of nursing staff who work at the unit provide all types of wound care, ranging from basic dressing changes, leg ulcers to compression bandaging.
- Option C: This option involves using the Dyfi ward as a day treatment centre. Local nursing and residential homes, including those offering end-of-life care, will deliver bedded care services to residents of Tywyn. This will also see the development Tywyn as a hub for community services (without beds) building on existing service provision (including end-of-life at home). This will also see the continued delivery of the new services.
- Option D: This option also uses the Dyfi ward as a day treatment centre. Local nursing and residential homes, including those offering end-of-life care, will deliver bedded care services to residents of Tywyn. This will also see the development Tywyn as a hub for community services (without beds) building on existing service provision (including end-of-life at home). This will also see the continued delivery of the new services. Option D will also explore the development of a further services delivered closer to home for a wider group of people.
- Option E: Use Dyfi ward as a reablement unit for patients who no longer require medical care but need monitoring and assessment by therapists and nurses to determine their readiness for home and any additional support needed.
Following the process to develop the five potential options a further session was held to appraise each against a set of criteria co-designed with broadly the same group of stakeholders. Through this process three options (B, C and D) were prioritised for further development.