A NEW Bronglais Hospital ward aimed at freeing up hospital beds is working well and helped cut A&E waiting times and the number of operations cancelled.

Y Banwy opened in late February to act as a step-down and step-up facility and ensure that people were not forced to stay on hospital wards while waiting for care packages to be put in place.

The unit’s success has been hailed by community health council chairman Paul Hinge, but he said he wanted to see the success replicated over the long-term.

Initially the ward was staffed by agency staff until permanent staff were appointed. This enabled the ward to care for patients waiting for discharge and free up beds on wards.

Bronglais general manager Matthew Willis, praised staff on the ward and said it had helped improve the hospital’s performance in key targets.

He said: “We are delighted with the positive impact that the opening of Y Banwy has had on the hospital.

"Banwy is working at the moment, but I want to see this is a long-term strategy in getting people in and out of hospital as soon as they can and ensure that people receive the right care and treatment at home. It’s a promising start and seems to be working well.”

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