(Title Image: NHS Wales)
A report due to be discussed at Bridgend Council’s (BCBC) Cabinet next week (pdf), sets out the council’s own preparations ahead of Bridgend’s £3million move from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to the Cwm Taf health board – which currently covers Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil.
The Welsh Government recently tabled the executive order authorising the move, which will be effective as of 1st April 2019. As a result, Bridgend’s new health board will be called “Cwm Taf Morgannwg”, while the old health board becomes “Swansea Bay”.
Behind the scenes, the report says the move will result in around 4,000 hospital, GP surgery and other health service staff moving to a new employer, while all the financial, IT and human resource services need to be ready for it as well.
There are a number of BCBC services and partnerships which will be directly impacted by the move, while cabinet members who currently sit on Abertawe Bro Morgannwg (ABMU) boards will switch to Cwm Taf equivalent.
BCBC also receives around £5million a year from ABMU to cover joint projects, which the report says won’t be affected by the move; some joint funding arrangements will remain in place with the new Swansea Bay health board for the short-term.
The switchover of some specialist services will be gradually phased over the next year or so:
- Children and young people advocacy services switch from Swansea Bay to Cwm Taf Morgannwg on 1st May 2019.
- Integrated family services and regional adoption services will gradually shift to Cwm Taf Morgannwg through the 2019-20 financial year.
- Child and adolescent mental health liaison services and multi-agency placement support won’t move until April 2020 at the earliest.
- Integrated autism services in Bridgend will remain with Swansea Bay until 2020-21.
- Bridgend’s youth offending services and public service board will remain stand-alone through 2019-20 at least.
