What are we trying to achieve?

 

Under the Powys Regional Partnership Board (PRPB), Powys County Council, Powys Teaching Health Board, Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations and other key partners from public service bodies, the private sector, and voluntary third sector organisations, are working together to take forward a once in a generation opportunity to transform health and wellbeing services in north Powys.

 

We have a high level of ambition to improve health and wellbeing services through a new model of care as set out in our Health and Care Strategy which was approved in April 2018.

 

In May 2019, the PRPB received £2.5m of funding from the Welsh Government Transformation Fund to invest in new ways of delivering health and social care services. This funding will support us in taking forward our ambition of developing a healthier north Powys for future generations to come.

 

The North Powys Wellbeing Programme aims to focus on wellbeing; promote early help and support by being able to provide technology that helps you live at home; tackle the biggest causes of ill health and poor wellbeing; and ensure joined up care involving neighbourhood teams and communities working together so that you have a more seamless service when you need it.

 

In addition to transforming health and wellbeing services through a new model of care is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a Multi-agency Wellbeing Campus in the heart of Newtown. This could be the first intergenerational campus for Powys, and could include primary education, health, social care and supported accommodation.

 

The preferred site for the campus is adjacent to Park Street, Newtown. Services currently on the site include the Park Day Centre, Newtown Integrated Family Centre (formerly Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd) health services and two primary schools, Ysgol Hafren and Ladywell Green.

 

On this site, there could be the further development of a new state of the art Rural Regional Centre which could be co-located next to some supported living accommodation, improved school facilities, as well as a Community Wellbeing Hub which could be part of a network of other Community Wellbeing Hubs across north Powys.

 

The North Powys Wellbeing Programme is currently at the early planning phase and visioning. A clear vision of how this new model of care could look like at home and in our communities will be shaped by the people of north Powys through co-production; doing with, not doing for. As the programme progresses, we will start to define in more detail what health and care services will be provided from within the campus.

 

How can I get involved?

 

We first need to understand ‘what matters most’ to you and your community to further understand what is good now, and what you would like to see change in the future.

 

To capture your experiences and valuable insights, we are arranging a series of events at local libraries and other public spaces to learn more about what keeps you safe and well in your home and community.

 

There will also be an online survey and other opportunities to have your say over the coming months, concluding mid-September. You can also share your insights of how we can improve health and wellbeing by contacting the team.

 

You can contact us directly at powyswellbeing.north@wales.nhs.uk and follow us on social media @PowysWellbeing and @LlesPowys.

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What services could be provided at home?

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There is a strong national and international consensus that we should strengthen care closer to home. Both digital technology and workforce are key enablers to achieving this ambition. Technology could enable access to specialist advice and opinion remotely and can, through telemetry and wearables help people to live safely and independently for longer in their own homes and communities. Flexible, enhanced and easily accessed, community based services can further enable people to stay longer in their own home.

 

What is a Community Wellbeing Hub?

 

Community Wellbeing Hubs could provide a place where different local partners in a neighbourhood can come together and address the issues that matter most to them. Community Wellbeing Hubs will be lead by statutory organisations but could provide a range of services for the community, but also by the community.

 

What is a Rural Regional Centre?

 

Our ambition is to build a brand new Rural Regional Centre in Newtown, which could offer a range of health, care and wellbeing services.  The aim is for the centre to provide additional services to Community Wellbeing Hubs and to provide the opportunity to deliver more services locally in Powys that are currently provided out of county.

The size and scope of the Rural Regional Centre will be developed through the North Powys Wellbeing Programme, this could include rehabilitation/inpatient beds, diagnostic, outpatient services, midwifery, children’s services and mental health alongside other partner services.

 

Will the Rural Regional Centre be a hospital?

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It could have many facilities similar to the current hospital including rehabilitation/inpatient beds, diagnostics and outpatients. Our aim is to increase the range of services provided in north Powys and reduce the need for people to travel out of county for health and care related services.This could be achieved by developing in-reach services within the Rural Regional Centre and will involve us working closely with The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, Hywel Dda University Health Board (Bronglais Hospital) and other providers through the Mid Wales Joint Committee for Health and Social Care.

 

Will the Rural Regional Centre have an A&E or Minor Injuries?

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Powys is the most sparsely populated county in England and Wales with around 130,000 people in an area of 2000 square miles.

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This means that the county does not have enough people living near enough to each other for a local A&E department to be safe and sustainable. Instead, we rely on A&E departments in major hospitals in neighbouring towns which can bring together enough staff with the right expertise available 24 hours a day to deal with the most complex injuries and illnesses.

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The specialists who work in major hospitals need to maintain their life-saving skills. This includes seeing and treating enough patients, with different severe illnesses and conditions, so that they are able to make rapid decisions that will save our lives.

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Our aim is to include Minor Injuries services as part of the Model of Care. A&E services will continue to be provided by neighbouring district general hospitals including Shrewsbury, Bronglais, Hereford and Wrexham.

 

Does this mean you are closing other community hospitals?

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The North Powys Wellbeing Programme is about strengthening local health and care across north Powys by providing more care closer to home.

 

Will there still be beds at Llanidloes Hospital, Machynlleth Hospital and Welshpool Hospital?

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Yes.

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What will happen to existing health and social care services currently on the preferred site? (Park Street Clinic, Day Centre, Integrated Family Centre, Flying Start Health Visitors)

 

We are looking to develop a new model in north Powys which integrates services across health, social care, third sector, education, housing, leisure and other partners.The existing services on the site will form part of these discussions, and we will be working with key people who may be affected so that they can share their ideas and thoughts on plans for the site.

 

If we are successful in securing capital funding required to support a new build on the preferred site, we will look to relocate services (where appropriate) and also aim to minimise disruption to all services during construction.

 

What will happen to the Newtown Public Library?

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The development of the Multi-agency Wellbeing Campus will take into consideration the current library provision which is located adjacent to the preferred site.Further work will be undertaken around how services could be provided on the site, the specifics of exactly where the library could be located within the site have not yet been defined and the library may remain in situ.

 

What will happen to Newtown Hospital?

 

If we are able to build a new facility this could include the existing services currently provided at Montgomeryshire County Infirmary in Newtown. As the programme of work develops we will be able to define which services will be provided on the Multi-Agency Wellbeing Campus.

 

What will happen to Childrens Services which are currently provided at Ynys Y Plant?

 

If we are able to build a new facility this could include the existing services provided at Ynys Y Plant. As the programme of work develops we will be able to define which services will be provided on the Multi-Agency Wellbeing Campus.

 

What will happen to Bro Hafren?

 

Some services have already been relocated to Montgomeryshire County Infirmary.For those services which currently remain in Bro Hafren, these could be included in the new facility.As the programme of work develops we will be able to define which services will be provided on the Multi-Agency Wellbeing Campus.

 

How will you raise the money needed to develop the new Multi-agency Wellbeing Campus?

 

We will be looking to secure capital funding from various funding streams within Welsh Government to support this exciting opportunity for north Powys.

 

What is the rationale for the Multi-Agency Wellbeing Campus being located in Newtown?

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Newtown is the largest town in Powys and serves the largest proportion of the north Powys population. There are some areas in Newtown which are severely deprived, and there is further evidence to show that targeted intervention at a multi-agency level could be beneficial to improving the health and wellbeing of residents in and around the Newtown area.

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Newtown is also in a central location for north Powys, and could help strengthen health and care services for mid Wales, reducing the likely impact of reconfiguration proposals around our borders.

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There are also a number of buildings in Newtown that are in poor condition. These buildings would need to be modernised and refurbished at significant cost, and are currently not in the best position for people to access. The Multi-Agency Wellbeing Campus provides a potential opportunity to deliver a new model of care in a new fit for purpose facility. .

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On the Multi-Agency Wellbeing Campus, how will you ensure children are appropriately safeguarded if members of the public would be accessing the campus on a regular basis?

 

Safeguarding arrangements are our highest priority for people of all ages, and would be a key consideration when designing the school accommodation, and when considering the most suitable location for siting the new school.

 

The planning of safeguarding arrangements and will involve all relevant people to ensure all safeguarding requirements are met.The development will be a campus style and so there will be physical boundaries between services i.e. between health and education.

 

Will there be transport links to the Multi-Agency Campus?

 

We recognise that transport can be challenging in a rural area.To ensure that people living across north Powys can access services provided on the Multi-Agency Campus we will develop a travel plan as part of the development.This will include active travel (such as walking and cycling), public transport, community transport and car parking.Working with town and community councils and other partners we will explore all transport opportunities and any changes that may be required as a result of this development.

 

How will you spend the £2.5m from Welsh Government?

 

The £2.5m has been drawn down from the Welsh Government Transformation Fund. The money will be used to strengthen some current services, in particular those around early help and support for both children and adults in north Powys. Some of the funding will also be used to support the North Powys Wellbeing Programme to explore and scope out new and innovative ways of bringing care closer to home in north Powys through increasing the use of digital technology.

 

This work will be underpinned by the views and experiences of both the public and staff through targeted engagement and conversations of what matters most to people in their own home, community and region.

 

If the preferred site for the Rural Regional Centre is on the current Hafren and Ladywell Green Schools, what will happen to the schools?

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​The intention is that a new school building to replace the current Hafren and Ladywell Green buildings would be part of the new multi-agency wellbeing campus.

 

The Council intends to carry out consultation during the autumn term 2019 on a possible proposal to merge Hafren and Ladywell Green schools, to create a new primary school in the current buildings from September 2021. This school would then move into the new school building in the future.

 

When would there be a new school building?

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The plans for a new building are at a very early stage, and it is likely to be several years until a replacement building is provided. Funding for a new school building is available until 2025/26, therefore it is expected that a new building would be developed by 2025/26 at the latest.

 

Where would the new school building be located?

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At this stage it is not known where exactly on the site the school building would be located. The intention is that the new school building would be part of the multi-agency wellbeing campus, which would include other health and care services provided by a number of organisations, therefore these will also need to be considered in order to ensure that the multi-agency wellbeing campus works effectively for the benefit of all. There will be opportunities for the schools to be involved in developing the plans for the site as this work goes forward.

 

How much outdoor space would the school have?

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Any new school building is built in accordance with government guidelines, therefore the space available would meet these requirements as a minimum. There will be opportunities for the school community to be involved as part of the design process as this work goes forward, and every effort will be made to maximise the outdoor space available in order to continue to provide the best possible opportunities to pupils.

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How much parking would there be?

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Parking at the two schools is currently very limited. Any new school building is required to meet minimum standards for car parking, which would be taken into consideration when designing the school.