GP Penarth Healthcare Partnership discussing future

Penarth Healthcare Partnership is setting up a “Patient Participation Group” which looks to “help contribute to the development of health services locally”.

The group is seeking current patients to join meetings, which will be held around four times a year.

PPG’s are run by volunteer patients and practice staff to help strengthen the relationship between the practice and their patients. 

The PPG contributes ideas, feedback, and suggestions to the practice to improve the patient experience.

A health board spokesperson said: “We are hoping to recruit a small group of motivated and open-minded people. We are keen to hear from people of all backgrounds, ages, and gender.”

Expressions of interest will be accepted until 5pm on Friday, December 15, with the first meeting expected early in the new year.

Register interest on the website, or asking in person at reception, or phoning the surgery after 2pm.

More information available at enquiries.w97011@wales.nhs.uk or telephone 02920 703039.

The partnership is looking for open-minded people (Image: Google Maps)

A changing health care service in crisis?

Penarth’s Community Health Clinic stands as a beacon of health provision in the Vale as increasing pressure grows on the health service.

In April, at a heated public meeting over proposals for a new Wellbeing Hub in the county, chief executive of the Cardiff and Vale health board, Susan Rankin eventually admitted to angry residents there was a lack of GPs.

In November, things got that bit worse as Cardiff and Vale University Health Board fell into a “black alert” after Cardiff’s University Hospital Wales – the country’s biggest hospital -  was overwhelmed with the amount of patients presenting in their emergency department.

The health board released their plan for the coming winter with much of the strategy around trying to avoid people having to be admitted to hospital.

Wales health minister Eluned Morgan told BBC’s Dot Davies recently: “We have been preparing for winter and the fact is we have a lot of alternative places for people to go now.”

Much of CVUHB’s strategy centres round a “Wellbeing Hub” – if they get it.

Wellbeing Hubs, the future of community healthcare? (Image: CVUHB)

There has been meetings held on the future of healthcare in the Vale (Image: Newsquest)

The health board has to come up with a credible business case strategy to submit to the Welsh Government who will release funding for the hub to be built – estimated at a cool £20 million.

Wellbeing Hubs are described as care in the community, or the bridge between GPs and hospitals, offering a range of services from childcare to pain relief all in an effort to keep people out of hospitals.

The next engagement session with the public over the Vale’s proposed Wellbeing Hub will be held at Murchfield Community Centre, Sunnycroft Lane, Dinas Powys, CF64 4QQ, on Monday, December 11, between 3pm and 7pm.