THE county’s dementia ward at Chepstow Community Hospital will be closed “at the earliest opportunity” if a recommendation to the health board is followed.

A recommendation to close the St Pierre dementia ward at Chepstow has been made after a report found the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) would be “unable to safely sustain services across five inpatient sites”.

Plans by ABUHB to restructure the existing format, which would mean dementia patients in the county would have to travel to either St Woolos Hospital in Newport or Ysbyty Tri Chwm Hospital in Ebbw Vale, were first raised last September, with a public consultation running until 28th January.

The plans faced widespread concern, with a senior mental health consultant highlighting issues with ease of access and a lack of public transport, while Monmouth MP David Davies said the closure should be delayed until the completion of Gwent’s new £350m ‘super-hospital’ in 2021.

Monmouthshire County Council also described the plans as “significantly flawed” in a formal response to the consultation.

In September 2017 ABUHB received a report on proposals to redesign older adult mental health services due to a number of significant challenges, including a 147 per cent increase in the over 85 years population over the next 20 years, and an increase of 39 per cent in the number of people with dementia predicted by 2025.

The report highlights serious concerns regarding the sustainable delivery of safe patient care across five older adult ward sites, and as a result a number of recommendations are to be made to the health board at a meeting today (21st March), including immediate plans to manage the closure of St Pierre ward "at the earliest opportunity". It also recommends support for an investment plan for an immediate investment into Older Adult Mental Health community based services in Monmouthshire in order to provide more care closer to home and reduce avoidable admissions.

According to the report, basic staffing levels on St Pierre ward throughout the consultation process have been maintained through a combination of deferring staff movement off the ward, use of bank staff and additional hours. By the middle of April it is anticipated there will only be five permanent qualified nursing staff on St Pierre Ward, which the health board believes to be “clinically unsafe and unsustainable”.

A formal period of public consultation saw a total of 30 consultation events held across the Health Board area, which was dominated by Monmouthshire, with 116 of 155 public attendees from the county.

Respondents from Monmouthshire were concerned that a local specialist inpatient service could be lost, with further information requested about how any new investment might be directed.

Poor transport infrastructure in Monmouthshire was also identified as a challenge to patients, their families, and staff, particularly in more rural areas.

Proposals to close the purpose built ward have met with strong opposition from people living in and around Chepstow who are anxious that the ward be retained.

Monmouth AM Nick Ramsay, who has previously raised the issue in a question to the Assembly’s First Minister, Carwyn Jones, said: “I hope the board will give careful consideration to, what in my opinion, are very valid objections to the proposed closure and will be persuaded to look again.

“St Pierre is the only in-patient dementia ward in Monmouthshire and its closure would represent the loss of the county’s entire in-patient dementia provision and a combined reduction in Newport and Monmouthshire from 29 to 14 beds.

“Journey times, irregular bus services and the cost of travelling would impose an unacceptable burden not only on patients but on their families and carers. Closing St Pierre would have a serious and detrimental impact on St Pierre patients and I would strongly urge the board to reconsider.”