MS puts pressure on health board to reopen hospital ward

Dale Spridgeon, local democracy reporter

A health board is being urged to reopen a closed ward in a rural part of Gwynedd to ease pressure on acute hospitals in the area.

Senedd Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd Mabon ap Gwynfor is calling for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board [BCUHB] bosses to reopen the Dyfi Ward at Ysbyty Tywyn as a step-down facility.

He believes this would highlight its “vital” role in easing hospital discharge delays and reduce pressure on hospitals such as Ysbyty Bronglais.

Mr ap Gwynfor has been in dialogue with BCUHB and Welsh Government, and said the reopening of the Dyfi Ward could provide much-needed community beds, enabling patients to receive onward care closer to home freeing up larger hospitals for those requiring urgent treatment.

Over the past 25 years, North Wales has lost around 20% of its hospital beds, mainly in community hospitals, meaning a shortage of step-down facilities.

His office cites the Welsh NHS Activity and Performance Report for October 2025, showing there were just under 1,500 pathways of care delays last month.

Delays happen when patients who are clinically ready for discharge cannot leave hospital because the necessary ongoing care and support or suitable accommodation is not yet accessible.

The total cumulative days delayed for those patients was just over 64,100, the MS cites.

The MS, who is today (Tuesday, December 2) set to raise the matter in the Senedd, said: ‘‘Ysbyty Tywyn is a lifeline for communities in Meirionnydd and beyond.

“Dyfi Ward was designed to provide care close to home, yet it has been left idle while patients are stuck in acute hospitals miles away.

“This is unacceptable. Reopening Dyfi Ward would restore a vital service and ensure that people can recover with dignity in their own community.

“Community-based care is essential for a sustainable health system, and Dyfi Ward’s reopening would be a significant step toward addressing current challenges in patient flow and hospital capacity.

“Reopening Dyfi Ward as a step-down unit would make a real difference, improving patient experience and alleviating pressure on our overstretched general hospitals.

“This should be done in conjunction with the excellent Tuag Adre service that the Board has developed, which is an example of best practice that should also be rolled out elsewhere.

“I have been lobbying both the Health Board and the Welsh Government for years to reopen Dyfi Ward. They know the facts, they know the impact, and they know the solution.

“It’s time for them to stop dragging their feet and deliver for the people of Meirionnydd. Communities deserve certainty, and patients deserve care closer to home.’’

‘Uncertainty’

Paolo Tardivel, Interim Executive Director for Strategic Planning and Transformation, said: “We recognise that uncertainty around the future of inpatient services at Tywyn Community Hospital has continued for some time and we want to be clear that our priority is providing the best possible care and services for the whole of the local population.

“We have heard the strength of feeling within the community about the future of services and we want to make sure that all scenarios are fully explored and developed before any decision is made.

“In recent months we have been working with members of the community, clinical and non-clinical staff and partners to develop potential options for the future.

“We are now further developing these and invite everyone to continue shaping them with us over the next few weeks and months, including seeking suggestions for how the challenges with reopening the beds may be overcome.

“We will present the further developed options in more detail and seek formal feedback during a consultation period – which will be in the Spring/Summer of 2026.

“We want to express our sincere thanks to all the staff who continue to care for the local community, in new and flexible ways that are receiving positive feedback from those who have used them.

“Through a careful and thorough process of review, continuous engagement and development, we are working to ensure that the services we provide in the community are the right ones for our population, both now and for the future.”