The maternity unit at a temporarily closed Welsh hospital is nearing completion, with hopes to reopen by the end of the month.
Bridgend: So, the maternity and neonatal unit at the Princess of Wales Hospital is almost ready to reopen. It’s been a bit of a saga since they had to shut down half the services last year.
They were doing some renovations when heavy rain hit in September, which really threw a wrench in the works. What was supposed to be a quick 12-week closure turned into a much longer wait because of a serious roof leak.
All the services on the top floor had to be moved around while they fixed things up. The health board said they were focusing on getting the maternity and neonatal areas sorted first, which is good news.
They’re estimating the whole roof repair will cost around £20 million and won’t be fully done until summer 2025. But hey, at least the maternity area is almost ready to go!
According to the latest update, contractors should hand over the units to the hospital staff by the end of this month. However, they still need to deep clean and restock everything before they can officially reopen.
One spokesperson mentioned that they’re on track with the roof work and are prioritizing the maternity services. They really want to make sure everything is safe for patients and staff.
Women might be able to use the maternity services again in February, which is a relief. Many have been feeling let down by having to go to other hospitals, like Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, which has been super busy.
Some women have had to travel over an hour just to get care, and that’s been tough. One lady even had to spend a week waiting for a needed induction because the ward was too packed.
It turns out the roof issues were worse than they thought. The hospital is about 40 years old, and the materials used back then just aren’t cutting it anymore. They’ve got a massive roof to fix—around 10,000 square meters, which is like the size of a big housing development!
Things have been changing a lot in the area, too. The stroke unit at Prince Charles Hospital has closed and moved to another hospital due to staff shortages, which has stirred up some criticism.
