A GWENT hospital is set to receive nearly £11 million as part of plans to turn it into a breast cancer ‘centre of excellence’.

Over the next three years, Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Ystrad Mynach is set to receive funding, in a bid to improve patient care.

Located in Caerphilly County Borough, it is operated by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which covers the entire Newport and Gwent area.

The investment is set to see services and experts from across the health board brought together in one place – providing outpatient care, diagnostic investigations and surgery for breast cancer.

Existing clinical teams from the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, and Nevill Hall in Abergavenny will be moved to Ystrad Mynach, in a purpose-built facility.

According to the Welsh Government, this will “better meet the needs of the people of Gwent”.

The news has been confirmed today, World Cancer Day, with health minister Eluned Morgan saying that the investment shows the Welsh Government’s commitment to improving cancer outcomes and supporting health boards to transform clinical services.

It is also hoped that this will cut waiting times for cancer care in Newport and Gwent.

This comes as the latest NHS activity and performance data shows in November activity levels in cancer services increased, with the number of patients newly diagnosed with cancer who started their first definitive treatment increasing to the highest level since comparable data was first collected in June 2019.

What has been said about the plans?

Health minister Eluned Morgan said: “These ambitious plans will mean patients in Gwent will have better access to high quality care and more people affected by breast cancer can be managed on a day case basis and thereby avoid a hospital admission.

“As we mark World Cancer Day, this is an opportunity to reflect on the significant impact cancer has on our society and highlight important investments that we are making to support better patient care. We will continue to give cancer services the focus they deserve as we emerge from the pandemic.”

Interim chief executive of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Glyn Jones, said: “We are very grateful to Welsh Government for funding this incredible new facility, which will represent another key milestone in our Clinical Futures strategy.

“With the new centre serving as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for breast services, our specialist clinicians will be centralised in a purpose-built facility, where they will provide expert care to patients with breast cancer in one place.

“We look forward to seeing the construction of the facility progress over the coming months.”