£6 Million For New Diagnostic Hub At The Royal Glamorgan Hospital

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething has today announced nearly £6 million (£5.969m) of capital funding for a new diagnostic hub at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The funding announced today covers the building costs for the installation of a replacement CT scanner, as well as the equipment and building costs to install a second CT and MRI scanners at the hospital. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The new hub will help ensure that diagnostic waiting times targets can be achieved within Cwm Taf and improved across South Wales. It will also improve resilience in relation to the availability of scanners across the region ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

CT and MRI scans are used to produce detailed images of inside the body. CT scans are used to diagnose conditions including damage to bones, injuries to internal organs, problems with blood flow, strokes and cancer. They also help to determine the location, size and shape of a tumour before having radiotherapy. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Announcing the funding Vaughan Gething said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The Welsh Government continues to invest in the health service in Wales. This new hub is a great example of investment in action. It will make a big difference, not only to people within Cwm Taf, but across the whole of South Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“In having these new scanners in place, we expect the hub to deliver on average, an additional 7,232 MRI scans and 6,599 CT scans per year. This will help reduce diagnostic waiting times while providing high quality imaging capacity in South Wales.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Ruth Treharne, Director of Planning and Performance at Cwm Taf University Health Board said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I am absolutely delighted that the Welsh Government has approved our bid to enable us to take forward this vital project in Cwm Taf. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“One of the outcomes of the South Wales Programme was a commitment to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital developing a significant role in diagnostics and ambulatory care, supporting the wider network of hospitals in the region. As well as providing improved diagnostic facilities and scanning for our own patients in Cwm Taf, the Hub will become the centre of excellence for South Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As well as more MRI and CT scanners our clinicians are keen to take advantage of technological advances in diagnostics and this is a really exciting development for Cwm Taf University health Board as well as our local communities.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​