Health Board collaborates with private hospital to provide extra beds during Coronavirus outbreak

Thursday 16th April

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is working with St Joseph’s Hospital in Newport to provide 36 extra beds for patients.

The agreement, as part of a formal partnership with NHS Wales, provides additional capacity for urgent and cancer treatments that would normally take place in the Health Board’s NHS hospitals.

St Joseph's Hospital has committed its bed capacity, facilities, expertise and resource to routine NHS operations during the national response. Services that will be offered to NHS patients at St Joseph’s Hospital will include breast surgery, gynaecological surgery, urological surgery, and other appropriate planned operations.

Judith Paget, Chief Executive of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: “The Coronavirus outbreak has meant we have had to act quickly to restructure and realign many of our existing services.

“Our NHS staff have showed phenomenal levels of skill, hard work and determination to respond to the challenges we are facing at this difficult time.

“We would like to thank St Joseph’s Hospital and we welcome this temporary arrangement with which will help us to continue planned operations that may have otherwise been postponed due to the current circumstances.”

St Joseph's Hospital, CEO, Stuart Hammond said: "Our priority is to help our NHS colleagues and to give patients the treatment they so badly need. Patients will benefit from the collective expertise and compassionate care from everyone at St Joseph's. We are ready to support the NHS during this unprecedented time of national crisis."