Image Source: Google Earth (taken September 2025)
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Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board will hold an important meeting on Thursday (21st May) when they will choose their preferred option for future healthcare services in the Llynfi Valley (pdf – Item 3.1).
Public’s views not published (yet)
The health board and local community activists have held several rallies and public engagement events since 2003, though these have ramped up over the last year.
Most of the public’s views have been collected by campaigners and the Citizens’ Voice Body (Llais) and will be presented at the meeting. However, no views or opinions have been published alongside the report, only a list of engagement events.
So it’s hard to tell what the public’s views on this actually are in black and white on the record.
What do the health board want to achieve?
In short:
- “An accessible local hub” to meet the identified healthcare needs of the Llynfi Valley. This includes reducing the number of trips from the Llynfi Valley to the Princess of Wales hospital, increasing the number of planned and nurse-led clinics in Maesteg and improving appointment attendance rates.
- Joined-up primary health care, community health care, charity and council services at a single site.
- Improve the working/ environment for staff and the user environment for patients/residents.
- Ensure the site is accessible.
- Minimise disruption to existing services.
What services do they want to provide in the Llynfi Valley?
First things first: the health board are sticking to their policy of not providing any community hospital beds in the Llynfi Valley.
The health board has also opted against providing a community pharmacy because there are enough in the local area to meet demand. Also, they don’t believe there’s enough demand for a community dental unit.
It’s probably easier to show you the graphic of what services Cwm Taf Morgannwg want to provide in the valley:
It’s also worth clarifying that the “urgent treatment centre” doesn’t mean an A&E, but a Minor Injuries Unit and a Minor Illness Unit (nurse practicioner-led).
What options have been put forward?
A “long-list” of five options was drafted in 2024. Three of these options included community beds; the most ambitious proposal of which was estimated to cost at least £81.5 million.
Since then, the proposals have been reworked, and four options have been put forward to the Board:
- Option One: Do Nothing (cost: £985,200) – All current services would be retained at Maesteg Hospital, with any maintenance backlogs dealt with. However, it doesn’t meet any of the health board’s objectives. Parts of the building would remain out of use, while current problems around accessibility, parking and “managed decline” would remain.
- Option Two: Do Minimum (cost: £4.86 million) – More extensive work would be undertaken to repair Maesteg Hospital, aiming to bring the Llynfi Ward space back into use as a second GP surgery or Minor Injuries Unit (but not as community beds). This would address some of the issues with the site, but it would be considered a “missed opportunity” to access a larger amount of money and create a modern healthcare centre.
- Option Three: Revelop Maesteg Hospital (cost: £40.1 million). The “heritage elements” of Maesteg Hospital would be retained, but most of it would be completely redeveloped. The hospital would need to close for an extended period of time. This means that services (i.e. Bron-y-Garn surgery) would need to be temporarily relocated. It meets all of the objectives, but it’s considered “unaffordable” and may take longer to complete.
- Option Four: New Health & Wellbeing Centre at Ewenny Road (cost £34.3 million) – Maesteg Hospital would close/be converted to alternative uses under this option, with a completely new-build centre being built roughly opposite Ewenny Road railway station (former Revlon/Cosi site). This meets all of the health board’s objectives and would, on paper, be the quickest way to deliver them. The report notes that this could face “stakeholder opposition” and needs a “robust longer-term plan” for the existing hospital site.
Based on the health board’s scoring system, Option Four scored the highest (57/70), followed by Option Three (48/70), Option Two (32/70) and Option One (18/20).
The preferred option is Option Four, though board members will need to make a final decision.
