EARLIER this week we looked at some of the radical changes afoot in Gwent's health services ahead of the opening of the new £350 million Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran in 2021 this week.

But readers weren't entirely positive about the plans.

Here's what they said in the Argus website's comments section:

No doubt the big builders will be eyeing-up County Hospital in Griffithstown for more unaffordable homes with the label 'affordable housing'.

Stop, take a step back and start producing housing that doesn't involve people struggling to pay the mortgage/rent.

Urgent new laws are needed in the private rent and unscrupulous property development sector.

ShellShocked

GPs and dental services should be incorporated in these under-used hospitals.

County Hospital has a three-floor wing which would be ideal for such services.

In the long run there would be a great improvement to NHS services in the area, as well as saving money on maintaining standalone surgeries.

Just imagine 10 doctors and five dentists all doing NHS work and serviced by three receptionists per shift.

NHS managers need to weigh up the cost of providing a building, equipment, light, heat and staff in one building against the cost to renovate and then maintain.

On top of this they need to look at the benefits to patients.

Selling off these under-used sites only adds money to the bottom line for a short period of time.

Re-using for increasing services adds value for decades.

Valrep68

Hopefully they will be able to knock down some disused buildings and create more parking at St Woolos.

Even for 9am appointments there is no parking left on site and you end up half way down the hill alongside Belle Vue Park.

Not a great situation if you are struggling to get up to the lymphedema or chest clinics.

anigel

If you can't drive you are stuffed!

gingertom

St Woolos and County Hospitals WILL close and A&E at Nevill Hall and the RGH will be downgraded to 'Minor Injuries'.

Nobody is interested in maintaining or fixing anything, even Ebbw Vale Hospital is looking very ropey in places.

If ABUHB could have found someone to buy the Llanfrechfa site for what they wanted, it would be a huge housing estate by now.

TheTruthSayer

So, after hundreds of millions of pounds, the answer for NHS Wales hospitals in the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area is to move services from other hospitals to the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall hospitals, when the new hospital, which we were told would ease the existing pressures at both of those hospitals!

Same thing happened with the closure of the old Chepstow Hospital. We were promised increased and improved services and then hospital services have been removed bit by bit since.

Unsurprisingly, with the all-singing, all-dancing new hospital there are already clear signs of there being a lack of forward planning with road and public access.

VirgoSupercluster

WE ALSO reported earlier this week that former Eggheads star CJ de Mooi, who lives in Monmouthshire, had said he is ‘dying from AIDS’ and was asking fans for donations to help avoid ending up on the streets.

But not everyone was sympathetic.

Putting the alleged illness to one side, this guy lives in a converted barn in Caldicot countryside! Has he not considered downsizing? Gwent has lots of cheaper properties and areas, or does his superstar status prohibit him?

I looked on his Twitter a few weeks ago and he was off to somewhere in Europe to run a marathon...yet now I'm reading he's on disability and can't work!

Sophiebell

I would like a new conservatory, so Go Fund Me here I come!

rgh

No, I will not donate to fix someone else's poor choices.

BillyBob1234

Bloke ill.

Needs help.

Opens up to community.

Nowhere else to turn.

His name isn't Marley.

Sorry AJ, it seems the angry brigade has deemed you unworthy of not only support nor empathy, but of active hate due to the character you played on telly once.

Astonishing.

Gareth