In response to the coronavirus situation, Powys Teaching Health Board is implementing our planned response to protect the health and well-being of patients, communities and staff in the month’s ahead.

This includes making temporary changes to the way we deliver some of our services.

We recognise that any change can cause anxiety and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but ask you to please bear with us as we respond to these unprecedented times.

 We hope you will understand that we must reprioritise how we use our staff and resources during this extremely challenging time. Our focus is on keeping patients safe, and ensuring everything possible is done to provide care to those who need it the most.

One temporary change we will be making from this week is to transfer patients who have higher level health & nursing needs from Panpwnton Ward at Knighton Community Hospital to Llandrindod Wells Memorial Hospital, where the number of beds will be increased.

This will enable us to provide a dedicated environment in mid Powys for those patients with higher level health & nursing needs.

Once this has been completed we will continue our work with social care and third sector partners to put in place a new temporary model of care in Knighton. Our intention is that Knighton will be a dedicated local facility for vulnerable older people who are unable to stay at home due to the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) but who do not need the higher level health care that will be temporarily provided at Llandrindod Wells Memorial Hospital.

 We are making this temporary change so that we are better able to face the challenges ahead due to coronavirus (COVID-19).

We are talking to patients and their families this week so that we can provide the best possible continuity of quality care for their transfer to Llandrindod Wells.

This is a temporary change in the current phase of our response to coronavirus (COVID-19), and has been discussed with the Powys Community Health Council. Our arrangements will need to adapt and evolve to respond to the changing impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the changing needs of our patients, communities and staff.

Whilst this temporary change relates to Knighton & Llandrindod Wells, we are working on plans for similar temporary models of care for coronavirus (COVID-19) across the county.

Thank you to everyone for your patience and support during these difficult times.

 Useful sources of information include:

 Information about temporary changes to services in Powys:

•             We aim to provide service updates via our website at www.powysthb.wales.nhs.uk/coronavirus

 Information about symptoms, self-isolation, social distancing and stopping spread of coronavirus:

•             If you think you may have coronavirus then please use the symptom checker at www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/covid19 - only call 111 if advised to do so by the online symptom checker or if your symptoms worsen

•             The Public Health website at https://phw.nhs.wales/coronavirus has the latest advice and guidance on symptoms, self-isolation and stopping the spread