URGENTrepair work is taking place at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend after severe rain over the weekend caused water to leak into several areas of the building. The hospital, which was already undergoing roof repairs, experienced additional damage when heavy rainfall worsened an existing issue, leading to ceiling damage in various parts of the facility.
Some patients have been relocated to alternative wards, while a number of non-urgent appointments have been rescheduled as staff work to manage the situation. The leaks occurred in areas of the hospital where the roof was already in need of attention, with repair work in progress prior to the recent severe weather.
Gethin Hughes, Chief Operating Officer at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, acknowledged the quick response from hospital staff. “We are extremely grateful to our staff for their swift response to this issue, and for ensuring the safety of our patients is maintained,” he said.
Hughes continued: “We were aware that the roof at Princess of Wales Hospital was in need of attention, and repair work was already underway when the recent severe weather led to a worsening of the situation. As a result, we are managing the impact of damage caused to the ceiling in several parts of the hospital, including in some areas used for providing patient care. In these circumstances, patients are being quickly and carefully moved to alternative, unaffected wards and clinical areas.”
Despite the disruption, the majority of services at the hospital remain unaffected. Hughes assured the public that while some disruption is inevitable, staff are working hard to minimise the impact. “We’d like to thank people for their cooperation and patience so far as we undertake the necessary work to assess and manage the situation.”
The health board has advised patients to attend their scheduled appointments unless they are contacted directly to make alternative arrangements. The public is also being urged to only use the hospital’s emergency department for critical or life-threatening conditions to help manage the increased strain on the facility.
Meanwhile, planned maintenance on the hospital’s maternity department, which began in September, is expected to continue for its scheduled 12-week period.
The hospital is working to resolve the roof issues as quickly as possible to ensure a safe environment for all patients and staff.
