Team transforms empty site into safe haven for patients
A PROPERTY team has transformed an empty site in Bridgend into a safe haven for hospital patients.
Workers from the 14-strong team from the Caron Group, which has 14 care homes right across south and mid Wales have been praised for their efforts in converting a former care home into an 80-bed recuperation unit by the Lord Lieutenant of Mid-Glamorgan, Peter Vaughan.
Abergarw Manor had been empty for six years and was first bought by the Caron Group with the aim of transforming it into a state-of-the-art care facility.
Rather than leave it empty during lockdown, the firm offered to hand over the premises free of charge to Bridgend County Borough Council for use as a convalescence hospital for patients.
Led by their own Captain Tom - site manager Tom Barnett- the property team, assisted by project coordinator Zain Asghar, showed “heroic determination” in transforming the building into a workable, care standards compliant 80-bed recuperation unit.
Lord Lieutenant Mr Vaughan said: “I am contacting you as Queen’s representative for the County of Mid Glamorgan and want to thank you and the Caron Group for all you are doing at this exceptional time.
“What is clear from recent weeks is that the NHS are on the front line and their professionalism, commitment and caring are evident for everyone to see.
“It is also clear that we need to care for the NHS staff and their patients, and that you and the Caron Group have gone that extra mile to do so.
“Your very generous offering of Abergarw Manor as a temporary community set down facility is a remarkable example of such help.
“Your desire to make a difference and show that you care, I know has been greatly appreciated and had an enormously positive impact.”
Sanjiv Joshi, Caron Group Managing Director who is also a member of Care Forum Wales, said the team’s selfless dedication was remarkable and called them “community champions.”
He said: “Tom captained our 14-strong team on the site and every one of them worked like trojans from dawn till dusk to get this unit open as quickly as humanly possible.
“We must also praise our amazing sub-contractors, brought in for specialist tasks, and the public-spirited suppliers who, despite lockdown closures, went above and beyond to ensure the team had the right materials for the job.
“It was great to receive the Queen’s message to my team.
“We are also proud and pleased that in Wales every care worker is receiving £500 payment as a respect of their contribution in this difficult time.”
Mario Kreft MBE, chair of Care Forum Wales, was impressed by their rapid work.
He added: “The wonderful people working in social care sector are hugely dedicated and have big hearts so the fantastic efforts of the Caron Group’s property team, under the leadership of Captain Tom, deserve recognition and our thanks.
“Having said that, what they have achieved in such a short space of time is nothing short of miraculous and I take my hat off to them all.
“They are real coronavirus heroes.”
The revamped site, which first allowed patients through the door after Easter, has proved to be a lifesaver for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Bridgend County Borough Council who are doing all they can to ensure the virus does not overwhelm hospitals.
Site manager Mr Barnett said: “We all just knew that this had to be done with the utmost professionalism and with speed.
“Our minds were totally on the job. We didn’t let ourselves be distracted for a minute by the exceptional circumstances we faced.
“But looking back on it now I realise how testing a challenge it was for everyone concerned and what a brilliant job the lads did.
“They worked like troopers, uncomplaining and determined to achieve the goal.
“They were just fantastic.
He added: “We had to take people’s temperatures and make sure they had the correct protective clothing and equipment.
“We couldn’t let anything slide as it would put the whole team at risk.
“It was amazing when I think about it – not only did the lads get the job done in record time, but in the most difficult and unusual circumstances we have ever had to face.”
The scheme would normally take a month to complete but it only took 11 days.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board Consultant Nurse Lynne Garwood said without it hospitals would struggle desperately.
She said: “It has been a constant dilemma to find a way of freeing up beds for emergency Covid 19 patients while also maintaining a safe environment for non-Covid 19 patients who still need treatment and care.
“Having a separate recuperation unit at Abergarw Manor not only frees up hospital beds for the crisis situation, but it also helps lower anxiety levels among nonCovid 19 patients who are naturally aware of the difficulties going on all around them.”