Residents in the Cynon Valley are facing the loss of specialist palliative care beds at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon in Mountain Ash at the same time as a major new healthcare development is being built just a few miles away — raising questions about NHS priorities in the area.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board is currently consulting on the “temporary” closure of the Specialist Palliative Care Unit (Ward 6) at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon, citing staffing shortages and a shift towards more community-based end-of-life care. Specialist consultant-led inpatient care at the site stopped in January 2024, and patients who need specialist beds are now being treated at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, Y Bwthyn at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, or Y Bwthyn Newydd at Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.
The Health Board says general palliative care will still be provided at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon in community hospital beds, but the loss of the specialist unit has caused significant concern locally. A petition with thousands of signatures has been launched amid fears that families in the Cynon and Merthyr Valleys will face longer travel times at the most difficult time in their lives.
The move comes as construction has officially begun on the new Llantrisant Health Park near the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, described as a “ground-breaking” development for healthcare in South East Wales. The project, being delivered by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board in partnership with Cardiff and Vale and Aneurin Bevan health boards, will include a state-of-the-art Community Diagnostic Hub providing MRI and CT scans, endoscopy and other tests.
The facility will also include training facilities for NHS staff, with the Health Board saying it will help develop the healthcare workforce and improve services across the region.
However, for many residents in the Cynon Valley, the contrast between investment in new facilities and the loss of local specialist services is difficult to ignore.
Health Board leaders say the changes are due to staffing challenges and a wider plan to deliver more care at home or in community settings. But campaigners argue that if there are staffing shortages affecting a small specialist ward in Mountain Ash, it raises questions about how new facilities elsewhere will be staffed.
Local campaigners say the concern is not just about buildings, but about access to specialist care close to home.
The consultation on the future of Ward 6 is ongoing, and residents are being encouraged to share their views before a final decision is made.
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