Tywyn Hospital inpatient ward to temporarily close due to staff shortages
Friday 21st April
Ffion Johnstone, Integrated Health Community Director for the West of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “This week we temporarily closed Dyfi Ward at Tywyn Hospital and consolidated our beds at Dolgellau Hospital to ensure more robust nursing cover. This decision has been made to protect the safety of our inpatients until we can achieve sustainable levels of nurse staffing.
“We recognise how difficult this is for our staff in Tywyn and we are doing everything we can to support them. This includes working with our Trade Union partners to explore how a small number of affected staff can be temporarily redeployed to support other health services in the local area that have not been impacted by the temporary ward closure. All other services – including outpatient appointments – will continue as normal at Tywyn Hospital.
“We are very much aware that this news has caused concern amongst the community. We would like to stress this is a temporary measure and we are doing all we can to recruit to the nursing posts required to reopen the ward.
“We need the support of the community to share our vacant job posts widely. If you know anyone who is interested in a nursing post in Tywyn or knows someone who might be interested please visit our recruitment page.”
Thursday 20th April
Ffion Johnstone, Integrated Health Community Director for the West of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said:
“We have been working hard to recruit new nurses from the surrounding area and from further afield to work at Tywyn Hospital for some time but have now exhausted all recruitment options. Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to recruit adequate numbers of nurses to provide safe nurse staffing levels across both Tywyn and Dolgellau Hospitals.
“With the safety of our patients as our primary concern, we have taken the difficult decision to temporarily close the ward at Tywyn Hospital and consolidate inpatient beds at Dolgellau Hospital to ensure more robust nursing cover. All other services – including outpatient appointments - will continue as normal at Tywyn Hospital.
“Over the next week, staff and patients will start moving across to Dolgellau and we are working with staff, patients and their families to ensure a safe transfer between hospitals. We are grateful to our staff who are working hard to help make this temporary transition as smooth and as safe as possible.
“These arrangements will be under regular review. We are still actively recruiting and our intention is to re-open the ward at Tywyn Hospital as soon as possible. However, this is dependent on securing more nursing staff and the process is likely to take several months.
“We understand this will cause concern within the Tywyn community but we have taken the decision to protect the safety of our inpatients until we can achieve sustainable levels of nurse staffing.”