It’s fair to say that while there have been big changes in the way the English NHS is structured and delivers services over the last decade or so, here in Wales despite the endless reorganisations we still have a pretty traditional set up in health care provision which is why the announcement of a new Health Park to pull a range of service from dentistry to mental health under one roof to be built in Merthyr Tydfil yesterday is an interesting development especially as polyclinics were ruled out by WAG previously.
According to WAG the Health Park was decided on after a report into improving access to Health Services in Merthyr Tydfil and if successful could provide a blueprint for other deprived areas in Wales and maybe form part of a more flexible delivery of service in a 21st century Welsh NHS.
And even though Health Minister Edwina Hart commissioned the report and made the announcement, the original idea of a health park is that of Professor Mansel Aylward, now the Chair of Public Health Wales and originally from Merthyr that could be another reason for the go ahead in thus location as well as some shocking health statistics. Prof Aylward is quoted as saying ‘“I’m extremely happy to see the health park is now on its way, particularly so in such a difficult economic climate. The people of Merthyr deserve it.”
The clinic will be a three story building (designs are on the links below) and will also include space for voluntary sector groups, its due to be finished in 2013 and will then be monitored to see if it improves the health of residence in the Borough and if it should be repeated elsewhere.
More info in the Western Mail HERE and the WAG's press release is HEREAny source
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