Carmarthenshire County Council and Hywel Dda University Health Board are in the process of implementing plans to create hundreds of additional beds as a precautionary method for the NHS to meet the needs of care in the weeks to come.
The council is working in conjunction with Llanelli Town Council, as well as with the private sector, to aid the Health Board in managing what is anticipated to be a “unprecedented challenges”.
Going forward, the intention is to commission contractors to go about the process of converting spaces at Carmarthen Leisure centre, the Selwyn Samuel Centre, and even Parc y Scarlets – which has offered a significant area of its premises to the NHS at no charge – to house these additional beds.
Dr Phil Kloer, Medical Director and Deputy Chief Executive at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “Delivering these additional beds for patients will be essential to help us manage patient flow over the coming weeks and we are extremely grateful for all the support that we are receiving from our local authority partner to help make this happen.
“We have followed the situation in Italy closely to learn where possible and to help our planning. Our European colleagues have provided feedback that patient flow and throughput is a critical factor in response to COVID-19 pressures.”
Councillor Jane Tremlett, Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board Member for health and social care said: “it is critical the NHS and Local Government pool their expertise in these extraordinary times to ensure we take this emergency action.
“It is only through working together that we can meet these challenges. I would like to thank Llanelli Town Council and Parc y Scarlets for their support.”
Jake Morgan, Carmarthenshire County Council’s Director for Communities and Andrew Carruthers, Hywel Dda’s Director of Operations, made a joint statement, saying: “Details in relation to these facilities are being developed with clinicians. These will be NHS managed facilities with many support services provided by the local authority and existing commercial partners.
“Developing these at pace is our priority and we hope that some elements of these facilities will be operational at the beginning of May.
“The Health Board is working very closely with all three of our local authorities to develop similar facilities and further information will be provided as these measures progress.”
