Petition to stop ward being shut
ALMOST 5,000 people have signed a petition to save an under-threat South Wales hospital ward from closure.
Barry Hospital’s Sam Davies ward, a 23-bed rehabilitation ward for older people, could shut as part of plans announced by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB).
The health board said it wants to get patients home more quickly as there is evidence that longer stays in hospital can lead to people’s conditions deteriorating.
But the plans have sparked anger among healthcare workers who claim that adequate community provision is still not in place.
Unison members at the hospital launched a petition on July 23 calling for the proposed closure to be stopped – and within three weeks 5,000 people signed it.
One member of staff who works on the Sam Davies ward said there was no consultation over the closure plans.
“Barry is a big town and needs this ward. Without the Sam Davies ward, Barry Hospital would go,” she said.
“Patients are very used to our ward and are comfortable with its size and that’s really helpful if they have dementia, they are more quickly settled. There’s nothing comparable elsewhere with Heath or Llandough.
“We agree that we want patients to go home after three weeks, but they haven’t set up the infrastructure in the community for that to happen.”
Andrew Woodman, Unison Cymru Wales regional organiser, said: “People have responded magnificently when Unison healthcare workers have asked them to support our petition.
“It is clear people cherish their local hospital services and they recognise the valuable work staff do to support the elderly in the community.
“We’ve been on the high streets and into shops speaking to as many people as we can. No-one we’ve spoken to thinks closing the Sam Davies ward is a good idea or will benefit patients or their families in any way.
“We’re certain we’ll get thousands more signatures. Unison will be at Barry Island in September and we’ll have a stall at Barry Pride.
“We’ll keep talking to everyone about the need for local and easily accessible public services to remain in Barry. Closure of the ward would force people to travel further afield to health services based at Llandough or the Heath hospital.”
The Sam Davies ward offers stroke rehabilitation, orthopaedic rehabilitation and medical rehabilitation among other key health services. The ward also has two respite beds.
To date, 3,287 people have signed paper copies of the Unison petition, while a further 1,580 have signed it online.
A spokeswoman for Cardiff and Vale UHB said: “We would like to reassure staff, patients and their families that we will be engaging with the wider community following discussions with the community health council on the engagement process.”