On Thursday, 24 March, the Health Minister visited Ceredigion to launch two new initiatives.
In the morning, at Aberystwyth Unviersity, the Centre for Excellence in Rural Healthcare was launched, which will help the Mid-Wales Collaborative build links with professional bodies and specialist researchers in planning our future NHS. In the afternoon, the Minister visited Tregaron to launch the Cylch Caron project, which will bring together hospital, residential care, primary care and a range of other functions in one modern building.
Elin Jones has played an important role in these developments, as the Minister recognised in his remarks. The Ceredigion AM arranged the initial meeting between the Minister and a delegation of doctors, which persuaded the Welsh Government of the need for a different approach in running Bronglais and the NHS in mid Wales. Since then, the Longley Review was commissioned, which led to the establishment of the Mid Wales Collective, and real steps forward such as opening 12 community beds at Bronglais and advertising for new specialists in cardiology and other fields.
In Tregaron Elin, together with councillor Catherine Hughes (pictured, now the Ceredigion cabinet member for social services) were at the forefront of efforts to stop the complete loss of hospital facilities from the area in 2006. Now, the Cylch Caron project will replace the old hospital, with 6 NHS beds, residential units and a range of other services.