Local Health Boards are working together to look at the future provision of adult thoracic surgery services in South Wales. This work is being led by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) which is responsible for the joint planning of specialised NHS services on behalf of the all Local Health Boards in Wales.

 

An eight week consultation has now commenced and we would like your views on the proposal to locate a single adult thoracic surgery centre at Morriston Hospital in Swansea serving patients from south east Wales, west Wales and south Powys.

 

Thoracic surgery involves operations on all parts of the chest, including the chest wall, the contents of the chest, and the lungs. Our local patients with serious lung conditions (including lung cancer) currently have specialist major surgery (thoracic surgery) at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, as part of their overall treatment pathway. This consultation covers proposed changes to just that complex surgery part of the pathway and not any of the local services, such as seeing a respiratory consultant and having diagnostic tests, which would continue to be delivered locally as they are presently.

 

Please go to the WHSSC website to read the consultation document and tell us what you think by 27 August 2018, using the contact details and feedback mechanisms provided by WHSSC.

http://www.whssc.wales.nhs.uk/thoracic-surgery-services-in-south-wales

 

Cardiff and Vale UHB and the Cardiff and Vale Community Health Council will be holding two public meetings during the consultation period where a representative of WHSSC, together with local clinicians, will be giving a presentation on the proposals. This will be followed by an opportunity for you to ask questions and give feedback on the proposed changes. A full list of all public events taking place across south Wales is available on the WHSSC website; the details of the public meetings in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan are as follows:

 

Mon 23 July 6.30 – 8pm in Castleland Community Centre, Belvedere Crescent, Barry CF63 4JZ

 

Wed 25 July 6.15 – 7.45pm Public Meeting in Butetown Community Centre, Loudoun Square, Butetown, Cardiff CF10 5UZ