Quietly and incrementally our local hospitals are being stripped of vital services as they’re centralised out of county. No residents have an opportunity to tell the health board and politicians what they think. The local health board is holding a consultation on its latest move to cut costs and centralise services at The Grange – further away from district general hospitals including Nevill Hall and the Royal Gwent.

This follows the removal of Accident and Emergency from both hospitals in 2020, the centralisation of maternity services at The Grange and most recently the overnight closure of the Minor Injuries Units. All these decisions have saved the health board money but forced patients to travel further, sometimes in an emergency. This pattern of centralisation has moved vital services further away from Monmouthshire residents, making access more difficult for those who rely on them most.

In 2023, the health board took a ‘temporary’ decision to centralise stroke rehabilitation services at The Grange and Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Ystrad Mynach and removing the service from Nevill Hall and the Royal Gwent. Two and a half years on, this ‘temporary’ arrangement is still in place, forcing Monmouthshire residents to travel out of county to access stroke rehabilitation. The health board has published a consultation, which runs until 30th January 2026 on a proposal to make this arrangement permanent.

The Health Board argues that centralising stroke rehabilitation improves staffing levels, efficiency and patient outcomes. The Health Board also projects that this change will save it £1.6million. But it’s patients and their families who will pay the price, especially in rural areas, facing longer journeys and poor public transport links to Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Ystrad Mynach or The Grange in Llanfrechfa.

When the Minor Injuries Units were closed overnight at Nevill Hall and the Royal Gwent we tried to get the County Council to take a stand against it but unfortunately Labour and Green councillor defended the closures saying it was only a small change. But you could say that about each of the service cuts at Nevill Hall and the Royal Gwent and gradually what we’re seeing is our local hospitals being stripped of the services residents depend on. The chaotic access and capacity issues at The Grange are well documented and are evidence of poor planning for healthcare in our area.

I hope residents will take the opportunity to share their views on this proposed change: https://forms.office.com/e/240EWsFa37