Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:53 pm on 16 January 2018.
First Minister, if I can I ask you about dementia care, there's deep concern in and around Chepstow at the planned closure of the purpose-built dementia ward at Chepstow Community Hospital and the relocation of services to St Woolos Hospital in Newport. Aneurin Bevan local health board have cited staff shortages as one of the reasons for this. This is at consultation phase at the moment. If this goes ahead, it will represent the loss of Monmouthshire's entire in-patient dementia provision, and a combined reduction in provision in Newport and Monmouthshire from 29 to 14 beds. Will you urge the health board to reconsider these flawed plans to protect Chepstow hospital's valuable resources and to find a more sustainable solution to the problem the health board is currently facing?