Health Secretary Vaughan Gething has approved over £31million of investment for child health, premature babies and obstetric services in South Wales.
Over £25m will be spent on redeveloping neonatal and obstetric services at the University Hospital of Wales.
The investment will provide:
- eight extra intensive care cots, in a redeveloped neonatal unit with expanded facilities for patients and families including a bereavement suite;
- new obstetric facilities including a ward with eight extra inpatient beds with ensuite facilities;
- a new dedicated obstetric operating theatre with a dedicated recovery area.
Over £6 million will be invested to consolidate and redevelop services at Prince Charles Hospital, Cwm Taf, to include:
- an expansion of the neonatal unit with nine extra cots;
- a redeveloped obstetric labour ward with six birthing rooms, one with a pool;
- a redeveloped midwife-led unit, with four birthing rooms, two with pools.
The investment will also be used to refurbish the existing maternity operating theatre and to build a second operating theatre facility alongside it. The investment in Cardiff and Vale is higher due to the complexity and space constraints on the existing site.
Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said:
“This funding will benefit services for mothers and babies at Prince Charles Hospital and the University Hospital of Wales.
“It forms part of our commitment to supporting the South Wales Programme, developing health services for women and babies that are fit for the future.
“This significant investment will help to deliver the best possible care, in line with expert guidance and standards from specialist bodies including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the All Wales neonatal network, and will provide extra capacity to meet growing demands for services in the years to come.
“It’s a further example of how we are investing in improving healthcare for the future for the people of Wales.”
It is anticipated that the schemes will be completed by December 2017 in Cwm Taf University Health Board and in June the following year in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.