Hospital reshuffle reduces patient waiting times

Amelia Jones

A reshuffle of beds and services between two Gwent hospitals has been described as a success a year after being approved.

The changes involved the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran, which opened in 2020, and Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny. 

The Grange did not have general medical beds at first and focused on specialist care.

This meant that 16 patients who needed regular general medical care did not have a clear place to go, and staff were not fully assigned to them.

To address this, staff were transferred from Nevill Hall to strengthen the respiratory care team at the Grange.

During 2024, some medical inpatient beds at Nevill Hall were closed, while a general internal medicine model was introduced at the Grange. Across the two hospitals, the changes resulted in a net reduction of 26 beds.

The Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said these updates have improved patient flow and reduced the length of hospital stays in general medicine.

Chief Operating Officer Leanne Watkins updated the board on the project this week. She said: “Overall it is a positive report for us and we have reduced the length of stays in general medicine beds.”

The board approved the bed and service changes in November 2024. Watkins added that the first-year review indicates the new model is supporting more efficient care and helping to ensure patients are treated in the appropriate setting.

The reorganisation also aimed to make care delivery more efficient and ensure patients were treated in the appropriate clinical setting. 

The reshuffle forms part of wider efforts by the health board to optimise resources and improve patient care across its hospitals.

It aims to balance specialist and general medical services while maintaining safe staffing levels and helping staff work more effectively across sites.

Health board officials said they will continue to monitor the changes to ensure ongoing improvements and identify any further adjustments needed.