Official Opening of the Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan League of Friends Family Room

Thursday 29th May 2025

We are delighted to announce the official opening of the Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan League of Friends Family Room, a new peaceful space on Ebbw Ward designed to support families during some of life’s most difficult moments.

Ebbw Ward provides palliative care in eight dedicated beds. Over recent months, they have worked together with other dedicated teams in the Health Board to transform a small room into a calm, welcoming space for relatives and loved ones.

Jessica Price, Ebbw Ward Sister and Manager and Emma Priest, Palliative Care Nurse Specialist for Hospice of the Valleys initially came up with the idea of transforming the small storage room on the ward.

Jessica, said: “I would like to say a special thank you to the Hospice of the Valleys team for their ongoing collaborative work with us. We work closely alongside the team who support our palliative patients directly on the ward to build a relationship through to end-of-life care.”

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the League of Friends, staff donations, and charitable funds, this vision has become a reality. The new Family Room allows relatives to stay close to patients receiving end-of-life care and provides a private, comfortable environment for conversations with clinicians.

The opening ceremony was a proud moment for the ward and was attended by staff, members of the League of Friends (including Chairman Des Hillman), Deputy Lord Lieutenant Mr. Phil Alderman DL, and Ann Lloyd CBE, Chair of the Health Board, who officially cut the ribbon.

Ann Lloyd CBE praised the initiative, saying:

“Having this room will without a doubt enhance patient care. The staff at Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan continue to make a huge difference to the community and the care they give.”

The room is already making an impact. Below is a touching message left by the first family to use the space:

“We were honoured to be the first family in this beautiful space. During such a difficult time, the care, kindness and compassion shown by every member of the staff meant the world to us. You don’t just care for our loved ones, you cared for us too.

Thank you for creating an atmosphere of peace, dignity and warmth. We will never forget it.”

Thank you to everyone involved in making this special space possible. Your commitment reflects our ongoing dedication to provide compassionate, patient-centred care to our community.