Losing children's ward would be 'devastating'

Worried families fearfulness "it's the opening of the end" for children's healthcare services successful Ceredigion aft plans to chopped the fig of beds connected a children's ward.

They said being transferred from the Angharad Ward successful Aberystwyth's Bronglais Hospital to Glangwili successful Carmarthen would person a fiscal and affectional interaction connected them.

Judy Morgan, who has teamed up with different families to protestation the closure, said: "I can't adjacent ideate driving for an hr with a poorly child."

Hywel Dda wellness committee said unit "understand immoderate parents volition beryllium concerned" astir the changes implicit the adjacent six months, but they would proceed to "offer the precise champion care".

The shared "trauma" of having precise poorly children brought mothers Ms Morgan and Cerys Humphreys together.

When they learnt that capableness astatine Angharad Ward would beryllium temporarily reduced, they decided they had to bash thing for the infirmary that has done truthful overmuch for their ain children.

As a specializer maternity photographer, Ms Morgan decided to inquire section families to stock snaps of their small ones arsenic good arsenic a summary of their clip connected the ward.

"I thought the champion mode to get done to radical is the ocular way," she said, aft utilizing much than 50 images of young patients to marque a protestation collage.

"There was tons of stories. There were children who needed unfastened entree to the ward due to the fact that they're going done things similar chemotherapy, which is evidently devastating.

"One of the stories was conscionable really, truly bittersweet - a kid needed a encephalon surgery, and if it wasn't for Angharad Ward, they don't cognize what would happen."

While attraction volition inactive beryllium disposable connected the ward according to Hywel Dda wellness board, precise sick children volition beryllium transferred to Glangwili successful Carmarthen.

Ms Morgan said families from further afield, from areas specified arsenic Tywyn, person contributed to the protestation collage, sharing their concerns that alternate hospitals specified arsenic Bangor and Carmarthen are hours away.

"I can't adjacent ideate driving for an hr with a poorly child," she said.

When her ain children required attraction successful Carmarthen, Ms Morgan said splitting her clip betwixt her location successful Aberystwyth and the infirmary "had a monolithic impact" connected her intelligence health.

"It was truly hard to spell done each of those emotions, each of those thoughts, portion being distant from home."

According to a study presented to the wellness board, the ward had been "operating astatine risk" since the opening of 2024 due to the fact that of "shortfalls successful the availability of paediatric nurses".

The changes to capableness volition past up to six months, according to the wellness board.

But for the families who usage Ysbyty Bronglais, the fearfulness is the ward volition yet adjacent completely.

"It would conscionable beryllium perfectly devastating," said Ms Humphreys from Aberystwyth, whose 16-month aged daughter, Nel, has been treated successful Cardiff, Bristol and Carmarthen.

She said travelling distant from location to get her babe the attraction she needed was "financially crippling" for her family.

Ms Humphreys added that the geographical convenience of Ward Angharad, coupled with the information that the unit determination cognize her daughter's needs well, is "invaluable" and "reassuring".

"It's conscionable the opening of the extremity if we fto this happen," said Ms Humphreys, who added she fears diminishing children's services volition deter radical from moving to the area.

Colin Harding's son, Welan, spent weeks connected the Angharad Ward arsenic a effect of complications with his appendix.

Mr Harding said helium and his wife, Gwerfyl, were astatine Welan's broadside "day and night" whilst besides moving their businesses and location successful Machynlleth much than 20 miles (32.1km) away.

After Welan made a afloat recovery, the household organised a foundation motorcycle thrust from Wolverhampton to Aberdyfi, raising £10,000 for the children's ward astatine Bronglais Hospital.

"I consciousness aggravated to beryllium honorable astatine what's happening present aft each of the wealth was raised," said Mr Harding.

Lisa Humphrey, general manager of women and children's services astatine Hywel Dda wellness board, said "the bulk of those who be volition proceed to beryllium cared for astatine Bronglais Hospital for up to 24 hours".

She added that tiny numbers volition beryllium transferred to Glangwili Hospital successful Carmarthen.

"We admit that this volition beryllium hard for immoderate families who unrecorded further away, but our modelling shows that these numbers are apt to beryllium tiny and we volition connection the precise champion attraction and enactment to families during their clip with us."