REALITY is beginning to bite for some Vale residents as another tense meeting was held with representatives of the health board over the future of health provision in Eastern Vale

Amongst the bizarre soundtrack of a roller-disco going on in the background, the chief executive of Cardiff and Vale Health Board Ms Suzanne Rankin and team laid it on the line to residents about where the future of healthcare is heading in the Vale.

Among the explosive revelations included:

  • There is no money to keep Redlands Surgery open as the lease begins to come to an end on one of Penarth’s last GP services.
  • The health board is firmly behind in their plans to open the new wellbeing centre, by at least three years.
  • Penarth police station will not be turned into the well-being hub due to the costs having to refurbish it.
  • Compromise will need to be made as the health board look to put a new super GP service, titled the "wellbeing hub", at the leisure centre at Cogan – just a five-minute drive from Llandough Hospital.

Penarth Times: Residents met at Penarth Leisure Centre in Cogan where the wellbeing centre is planned to be builtResidents met at Penarth Leisure Centre in Cogan where the wellbeing centre is planned to be built (Image: Newsquest)

'We will not get a solution that suits everybody,' Health Board

The future of a brand new well-being centre to serve the people of Eastern Vale hinges on the health board being able to come up with a plan that meets all the criteria set out by the Welsh Government to win a £20million cheque that can pay for the diggers to move in and construction to begin.

That criteria includes creating an integrated centre that will promote well-being.

Health board chief Ms Suzanne Rankin welcomed everyone to the meeting before deputy director of strategic planning Ms Marie Davies laid it on the line to residents of Penarth, explaining: “Having a consistent voice is vital to get this project to progress”.

However, that voice is far from consistent at the moment, with dozens of people raising questions from congestion issues at Cogan, parking capacity, pedestrian safety and what services are going to be put where.

Ms Davies pleaded with the audience to come together on the plan as she explained the challenges health provision in Eastern Vale is facing.

“A lot of GPs and health centres are way past their sell-by-date,” said Ms Davies.

“We are three years behind program and wanted this centre open by now. We are off track.

“If there is an alternative option (to the leisure centre location for the well being hub) that meets the criteria, then we are all ears.

“The capital to support this scheme is not a foregone conclusion. We do not get the grant until we get the community behind us.

“We will not get a solution that will suit every single person, compromise will be required, but we will not submit this without community support.”

Penarth Times: Health Board chief Suzzanne Rankin (front) and head of planning Marie Davies led the discussionHealth Board chief Suzzanne Rankin (front) and head of planning Marie Davies led the discussion (Image: Newsquest)

Penarth Times: Ms Rankin insisted this was about bringing additional services to the areaMs Rankin insisted this was about bringing additional services to the area (Image: Newquest)

Chief executive Rankin added: “This is not about rolling up every other primary care service and putting it in one place, this is about bringing additional services and broader capacity to the area.”

Were you at the meeting? What do you think of the plans? Can you come up with a better idea? What do you think of health care provision in the Vale? Let us know by emailing harry.jamshidian@newsquest.co.uk.