RECRUITMENT problems could jeopardise emergency out-of-hours services at Bronglais Hospital, it has been warned.

Members of Hywel Dda Health Board have heard that services across the board area could have to be closed with Bronglais Hospital facing issues in staffing levels at middle grade and consultant level for medicine, paediatrics and middle grade surgical rotas in scheduled care.

While director of operations and deputy chief executive Joe Teape warned there were issues, his report said it was hoped services would be able to continue operating normally and that recruitment attempts were ongoing.

All hospitals across the health board area are facing potential issues for out-of-hours services with Mr Teape saying that is mainly due to staffing issues leading to a reliance on agency staff.

He said: “This report has been prepared to update the board on the increasing fragile nature of our front door services during out of hours and to provide assurance that escalation processes and protocols are in place to manage the risk of unsafe staffing levels and patient safety in the event that any of our services are required to close on a short term basis.

“Across Hywel Dda there is an increasing risk of out of hours service provision for several service areas and specialties not having a full complement of staff to staff rotas with the health board being over reliant on agency staff.

Areas highlighted in Bronglais are medicine middle grade consultants, middle grade surgical rotas for scheduled care, and along with the whole health board, paediatrics.

The report said efforts were continuing to recruit consultants, but the current staffing levels could lead to problems in filling rotas.

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