News

Do you struggle to lose weight and keep it off? Are you feeling overwhelmed with all the mixed messages in the media about 'dieting'? 

This week we take a look at sugar. The British Dietetic Association fact sheet on the subject is a good place to start too understand more.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board would like to introduce our new team of Smoke-Free Environment Officers working across our hospital sites.

We are pleased to share that Age Connects Torfaen has been awarded a grant of £10,000 from the ‘Transport to Health’ project to enhance its existing transport service. The service will now be able to offer transport for older people living in Torfaen to access a hospital appointment.

Our phone lines are extremely busy at the moment and it may take longer than expected for your call to be answered.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is touring the area to recruit new members of staff and ensure local residents understand the recent changes to the healthcare system.

Ahead of the busy Winter period, we're conducting a dual-purpose engagement roadshow to fill a number of job vacancies within the local health sector, as well as to help local residents make the right choices when they need care.

The Welsh Blood Service has clinics coming up in the Borough of Caerphilly

Do you have questions about our Health Board and the pressures we're currently facing?

A team of expert clinicians will be answering your questions live on our Facebook page on Wednesday 3rd November at 7pm.

We no longer recommend that children under 5 take COVID-19 tests

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is delighted to work with Improvement Cymru to host an online event with Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lynne Neagle, Professor Dawn Brooker, Professor Katie Featherstone, Alzheimer’s Society Cymru and Lleisiau Dementia.

From the 6^th November to the end of March 2022, Aneurin Bevan is offering Saturday morning clinics for women that are due for Cervical Screening. These clinics will be held across the region and you can call directly to book an appointment.

Monday 25th October 2021

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board was turned pink on Friday 22nd October for the national Turn it Pink Day.

Our Deputy Medical Director and GP, Liam Taylor talks about why GP Practices are currently working differently and the significant demands we are facing in general practice since the Covid pandemic.

The A465 between Brynmawr & Glanbaiden will be closed from 20:30 Friday 29th October - 06:00 Monday 1st November 2021. 

Wednesday 20th October 2021

Do you take methotrexate for your arthritis or for a skin condition?

If so, you may be eligible to take part in this VROOM study.

We are recruiting for a pioneering co-production Community Advisory Panel in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is supporting a national longitudinal study aiming to understand how the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has impacted on the mental health and emotional well-being of people across Wales.

It's World Menopause Day!

Would you like to know more about the Menopause?

Friday 15th October 2021

As NHS staff continue to respond to the consequences of the Coronavirus Pandemic, this year’s winter season is set to be the busiest ever recorded for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, along with other Health Boards across Wales and the UK.

Diwrnod Shwmae Hapus / Happy Shwmae Day!

Today- 15th October 2021- is an annual celebration of the Welsh Language in Wales.

From Monday 11^th October, you must use the NHS COVID Pass to show that you are fully vaccinated or have tested negative to attend large events, nightclubs and other similar venues. Please see information below on how to access your NHS COVID Pass.  

The Health Board has 2 exciting opportunities for you to use your skills and experience to make a difference to the lives of people served by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.....

Please note that the A465 will be closed between Brynmawr and Gilwern from 20:30 on Friday 15th October to 06:00 on Monday 18th October 2021.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our Customer Management Centre will be running a reduced service this week (Week commencing 11th October 2021).

The Health Board is introducing a new service at the Royal Gwent Hospital to care for respiratory patients on Monday (11th October).

Digital Health Wales report over 250,000 video consultations have taken place between patients and clinicians in Wales since March 2020.

The theme for World Mental Health Day 2021 is ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’.

The Mass Vaccination Booking Centre are continuing to experience issues with their phone line, resulting in callers experiencing unusually long waits to speak to a call handler. This is still under investigation and we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.

The Health Board has coordinated the following Covid-19 Mobile Testing Units:

Please be aware that the Walk-in Vaccination Clinic in Abertillery on 9th October 2021 has been cancelled.

The new Chief Executive of the NHS in Wales and Director General for Health and Social Services will be Judith Paget, it has been announced.

It has been brought to our attention that members of the public are experiencing unusually long waits to speak to a call handler within the Mass Vaccination Booking Centre...

It may be necessary for visitors to accompany patients/service users to scheduled appointments in our healthcare setting. This may be supported in the following situations, further exceptions may be made following discussion with the relevant department:

Team County at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board are finalists in the Nursing Older People category of the RCN Nursing Awards 2021.

They were shortlisted for the profession’s top accolade for nursing excellence from hundreds of entries by a panel of nurse leaders, and will find out if they have won at a live-streamed ceremony on 12th October 2021. 

We’re experiencing a large volume of calls within the Mass Vaccination Booking Centre and request that anyone calling to cancel or rearrange their appointment to select option 1 to leave a voicemail message.

The Transport to Health project has awarded its first cash grants to two successful applicants.

If you have recently received your letter inviting you to attend for your Covid-19 booster vaccination, the letter will have informed you that you may be offered a flu vaccine at the same time.

We are delighted that our Vice Chair, Emrys Elias, has been appointed as the new Chair of Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board for up to the next 18 months, following the retirement of Professor Marcus Longley after his 4 year term.

Welsh Government continues to report Alert Level 0 for the general population. However, in line with national guidance COVID measures remain in place on healthcare premises in order to protect extremely vulnerable patients. This includes social distancing and the use of facemasks.

Thursday 23rd  September marks the first Healthy Travel Wales day, an opportunity for businesses and organisations to showcase how they’re helping people make sustainable journeys...

Join us for the Falls Prevention Awareness Week 20-24th September 2021. This week promotes a campaign to increase awareness around falls and injury prevention and continue the conversation to promote healthy aging.

The Patient Choice Award offers patients and the public an opportunity to have their say and to recognise the staff who have made a difference to their lives.

We will be streaming our next Public Board Meeting live on YouTube at 9:30am on Wednesday 22nd September 2021.

Following yesterday’s Welsh Government announcement regarding:

• those who are 12-15 years of age being offered a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination
• the Covid-19 Autumn Booster Programme

We would like to assure our residents that we will be contacting all those eligible for these vaccinations to offer them an appointment over the next few weeks.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board are planning to build a new integrated Health and Wellbeing Centre in Newport East.

JCVI announce Covid-19 booster vaccination for all those currently in priority groups one through to nine.

Further to the message published this morning (see below) we are pleased to advise that the technical upgrade is now complete and the lines are now back to normal.

The Friends of Llanfrechfa Grange Walled Garden are pleased to share the Summer 2021 edition of their Newsletter....

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our Customer Management Centre will be running a reduced service this week (Week commencing 13th September 2021).

Advocacy is one way of supporting people to express what they want from support and services, and to have this taken into account when decisions are being made that affect them.

All of our Hospitals are currently extremely busy.  Please only attend if you really need to. If your condition is not life threatening please call 111 for advice.

Are you aged 16 years and above, or has it been 8 weeks since your first dose? You can now walk in to any of our vaccination clinics to receive your vaccination.

This week is blood pressure awareness week and we are shining a light on blood pressure, what it is, and some of the things that we can do to help keep our blood pressure in a healthy range. 

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s new Specialist and Critical Care Centre, The Grange University Hospital, was officially opened today by Rt Hon Mark Drakeford, MS First Minister of Wales.

NHS services are currently affected by an international shortage of blood collection tubes used for taking some blood samples (blood tests).

We are expecting a high number of births over the Bank Holiday weekend and we are currently experiencing staff shortages across a number of our hospitals.

Please note that the Mass Vaccination Booking Centre line will be operating at the slightly reduced hours of 10:00am - 4:00pm on Bank Holiday Monday, 30th August only.

AstraZeneca vaccine walk-in clinics for second doses only for anyone who received their first dose on or before 6th July 2021.

We are currently experiencing some faults on the telephone lines for the Vaccination Booking Line and some lines to our Referral and Booking team.

From Monday 23rd August until Thursday 26th August there will be some structural work being undertaken in the Children’s Emergency Assessment Unit at The Grange University Hospital.

A number of our services are now offering virtual appointments to allow our patients to attend pre-arranged appointments using a video call, rather than attending in person. 

Vaccination Walk-In Clinics

Please see details below of our upcoming Covid vaccination walk-in clinics.

Thursday 12th August 2021

Due to unforeseen technical difficulties with our IT systems, we are currently unable to take any calls. We apologise for any inconvenience and aim to get these issues resolved as soon as possible.

The Gwent Liver Unit will be holding a Patient Support Evening from 5:30pm on Tuesday 7th September 2021 in Belle Vue Park, Newport.

It is pleasing to note Welsh Government Alert levels have reduced to 0 for the general population, but in line with national guidance COVID measures remain in place on healthcare premises

Did you know that smoking cessation services can be accessed via your local pharmacy? Over the last year, there were three pharmacies within our Health Board area who were extremely proactive in working with smokers to help them quit.

Details of our next Pfizer vaccine walk-in vaccination sessions are below: 

Following today’s announcement and recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations regarding the vaccination of all those aged 16 and 17 years old, we would like to assure our residents that we will be contacting all those eligible for vaccination to offer an appointment over the next few weeks.

Monday 2nd August 2021

Please note that with effect from Monday 9th August, our opening hours will be:

8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday

8am – 1pm, Saturday and Sunday

We appreciate how important it is for patients and their loved ones to see each other whilst they are receiving care.

All adults who have been fully-vaccinated will no longer have to self-isolate if they are identified as close contacts of someone with coronavirus from 7 August, the First Minister confirmed today.

On Wednesday 28^th July, we held our Board Meeting and Annual General Meeting (AGM) for 2020/21 - an extraordinary year for us all.

On Friday 16th July 2021, the new Llanbradach Centre for Health was officially handed over from the developer, Apollo and contractor, Jehu to Aber Medical Centre and The Village Surgery.

You are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Health Board on Wednesday 28th July 2021 at 3pm.

Newport NCN and The University of South Wales are looking to recruit people who are eligible for one of the cancer screening programmes (Breast, Bowel and Cervical screening).

Following the JCVI announcement earlier this week, those within twelve weeks of turning 18 years old are now eligible to be offered the COVID-19 vaccine.

The A465 will be closed between Brynmawr & Gilwern from 20:30 Friday 23rd July - 06:00 Monday 26th July 2021. 

From 26^th July 2021, there will be the opportunity for some patients within the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area to be admitted to a community hospital rather than one of our enhanced general local hospitals.

The following infographic shows the work carried out by our Primary Care and Community Services during the pandemic (March 2020 - March 2021).

It’s been one year since Improvement Cymru (Public Health Wales) produced a free online self-help video course available to everyone in Wales over the age of 16.  The ACTivate Your Life course has helped people take greater control so that day-to-day life has become less stressful and more enjoyable.

Following the recent announcement and recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations regarding the approval of the COVID-19 vaccination of those aged between 12 and 17 years, who are at higher risk from COVID-19 and all those within twelve weeks of turning 18 years old will now be eligible to receive the vaccine.

A new project has been set up to support community transport to hospitals and other NHS premises across the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area.

Have your say on video consulting.

TEC Cymru want to hear from NHS Wales users of Attend Anywhere.

We will be holding walk-in vaccination clinics at our Mass Vaccination Clinics on Saturday 24th July.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board fully recognises visitors are essential to the wellbeing of patients and we have been committed to finding ways to ease visiting restrictions in the safest way possible.

Residents across Wales with Covid-19 symptoms are being urged to join the world’s largest trial of treatments at home to prevent deterioration from coronavirus.

Come and join us on Thursday 29th July in the Llanfrechfa Grange Walled Garden for our Open Day and Annual General Meeting.

How have you managed? What has been useful? Is there any ongoing information or support you need?

For the attention of all Aneurin Bevan University Health Board patients who use CPAP or BiPAP machines at home-

All Aneurin Bevan University Hospitals are Smoke-Free. It is illegal to smoke on hospital grounds and anybody smoking in smoke-free areas could be fined £100. 

This year's Learning Disability Week took place between 14th - 20th June and the theme this year was art and creativity!

Following yesterday’s announcement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations regarding the next phase of the Mass Vaccination Programme, we would like to reassure our residents that all those that meet the criteria for the booster vaccination will be offered an appointment within the appropriate timeframes.

Welsh Government, NHS Wales, and community pharmacy have today (30 June 2021) released a detailed infographic to highlight the growing importance of independent prescribing.

Patients across the UK will benefit from a super-charged clinical research system, backed by over £64 million of dedicated investment, which will save lives across the country. 

Due to circumstances beyond our control, on Friday 25^th June our triage telephone line will only be open in the morning from 9:00am - 12:00 midday.

Thursday 24th June 2021

We're delighted to announce that the team at County Community Hospital have been named as finalists in the Nursing Older People category of the Royal College of Nursing Awards for their new intergenerational partnership scheme with a local Primary School.