Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd hopeful calls for key rôle for Nevill Hall to address NHS waiting lists:

Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire, Cllr William Powell, has called on Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, with support from Powys tLHB, to focus on the strategic development of Nevill Hall Hospital to address the 'serious NHS waiting lists' in a number of areas.

Speaking just days ahead of the first anniversary of his own discharge from Nevill Hall in May 2020, following his successful 6 week Covid-19 battle, William Powell said:

'I warmly welcome the fact that the Nevill Hall Radiotherapy Satellite Centre (RSC) received backing from Welsh Government, in its outline business case back in February. However, this must now be taken forward as a matter of extreme urgency.

'With the facilities at Nevill Hall & the caring capacity that I know at first hand, and to which I owe my life, now is the time for Nevill Hall at Abergavenny to be re-purposed to meet the needs of the Welsh NHS locally, post the COVID-19 pandemic.

'At an all Wales level, waiting lists are up by 19% compared to February 2020, with 217, 655 having waited already more than 9 months for a consultation and almost 550, 000 waiting for their treatment to commence. We can address this locally by a laser sharp focus on cutting waiting lists, by harnessing the expertise and the facilities at Nevill Hall.

'While the move to The Grange site has clearly removed A&E and ICU, it is vital that we do not allow other assets, such as Nevill Hall to be ignored - or to 'wither on the vine.'

'We have excellent clinicians - such as Kelvin Gomez and his team, in general surgery and cancer care, and others in different specialisms. They have the talent and the ambition to help make the renaissance of Nevill Hall a reality.

'I shall be writing to Welsh Health Minister, Vaughan Gething MS and to Aneurin Bevan UHB Chief Executive, Judith Paget, urging them to develop a health action plan including Nevill Hall, that will serve the long term health needs of South Powys and North Monmouthshire.

'It is vital, in these challenging times, that we capitalise on all the health assets that we have, rather than buying in costly services from the private sector, such as at St Joseph's at Newport. The facilities and human resources at Nevill Hall must be central to that.'

ENDS