Bid to keep Royal Glamorgan Hospital A&E 'tested', says board

Protesters gathered outside a health board meeting in January

Health chiefs have been trying to recruit new A&E doctors in a bid to keep a threatened unit open.

A report being discussed next week reveals it is among measures taken to retain the unit at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Rhondda Cynon Taff.

Last month, the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board said doctor shortages meant plans to downgrade the emergency department should be speeded up.

It led to protests by patients and politicians outside the hospital.

The health board will meet again on Thursday to discuss its options, after initially agreeing in January to work on plans to either close the Llantrisant hospital A&E unit entirely, or just overnight.

The move followed a decision in 2015 to centralise emergency care in fewer locations.

The health board said action was needed to avoid "unacceptable risk to patient safety".

What's the problem?

Staffing levels at all Cwm Taf Morgannwg's A&E units - at the Royal Glamorgan, Prince Charles Hospital and the Princess of Wales Bridgend - are well below UK-wide standards.

The situation at the Royal Glamorgan worsened recently with the resignation of its only full-time A&E consultant.

The health board said this "expected retirement", along with a shortage of middle-grade doctors, meant three A&E services could not be "sustained beyond the immediate short-term".

The report to the next meeting also reflects some of the concerns raised by those using the services.

Earlier this month around 400 people protested outside the Senedd against any closure.

The board report states that key messages it has received from staff, the public and their representatives include:

• Concerns about transport and accessibility of other hospitals

• Impact on services at other hospitals in the board area

• How it may affect staff recruitment and retention

• "Lack of trust and confidence" in the board and senior leaders

In papers published on Friday, the health board said it had now been "testing the viability" of retaining around-the-clock consultant-led emergency department care at the hospital.

But the report authors warn: "There is a national shortage of emergency medicine doctors and the experience of others shows that recruitment is likely to be very challenging."