PROPOSALS to ‘improve’ mental health services could see the closure of a dementia ward at Chepstow Community Hospital.

Despite the ward having an 89 per cent occupancy in 2017, five per cent higher than the average in the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area, a shakeup in the older adult mental health provision could mean the ward would close in a consolidation of dementia wards across the authority.

Consultation with stakeholders, which included service users, carers, staff, third sector, housing and the Community Health Council, found the preferred option would be to consolidate the number of dementia wards down to three.

The proposal would mean the St Pierre Ward would close and beds would be transferred to Ysbyty Tri Chwm (YTC) in Ebbw Vale for North Monmouthshire and to Sycamore Ward, St Woolos in Newport for South Monmouthshire patients. This would see an overall reduction of four dementia beds in addition to the beds temporarily closed due to a significant temporary reduction in beds since January 2016.

The report, The Redesign of Older Adult Mental Health Services, acknowledged that although it would enable the development of inpatient ‘Centres of Excellence’ with enhanced staff support and a concentration of staff expertise, it would increase travel time for a small number of south Monmouthshire patients with dementia requiring admission to hospital.

St Pierre was chosen as the preferred ward to close as the remaining dementia assessment wards would provide the best coverage of wards across the geographical patch.

The report by the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Nursing goes on to say that: “The option provides greater sustainability of staffing and enables a better redistribution of beds with a concentration of functional beds in the centre of the county.”

The report concludes that the current service configuration of older adult mental health service is unsustainable. The current staffing problems have resulted in the need to reduce older adult mental health beds on a temporary basis. Work undertaken with stakeholders has confirmed that a more permanent consolidation of beds onto a reduced number of sites is seen as the best way of maintaining safe and sustainable inpatient services.

The health board will now be asked to approve the move towards a formal public consultation on the preferred option outlined in the report.