Hywel Dda University Health Board is spending £600,000 to improve accommodation for trainee doctors. The health board has invested the money to improve the accommodation at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest. The aim of the project is to create a "warm and welcoming space" for trainee doctors to return to after a long shift.
The improvement work is already well underway, with eight flats in the Penfro block, consisting of 32 bedrooms, already being repainted and given new floors and furniture. The communal recreation room and corridors have also undergone a transformation. By spring 2025, it is expected that eight shower rooms will be created from existing bathrooms, with new shower suites to be fitted in each flat, as well as the communal shower room and toilet located on the ground floor.
A new fully fitted kitchen will be installed in the communal area, with painting, new flooring and new white goods. The second phase of the renovations at Withybush will begin in April 2025 and continue until March 2026. This work will involve a similar refurbishment programme for another of the blocks of flats.
The improvement plans have come about following a large-scale review of trainee doctor accommodation by the health board, which took place between July and September 2023. The existing accommodation was measured against Welsh Government and British Medical Association accommodation and facilities standards. Helen Thomas, head of medical education and professional standards at Hyw.