Issue - meetings

To discuss with representatives from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board their plans and projected timescales for the delivery of the hospital project and associated facilities.

10.15 A.M- 11 A.M

~~~~ BREAK (11.00 A.M - 11.15 A.M) ~~~~

The Lead Member for Health and Social Care, Councillor Elen Heaton, introduced the North Denbighshire Community Hospital Project to the Committee. The Project was to develop the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) site in Rhyl.

The Lead Member expressed the importance of the project due to the current pressures facing Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. The Project was a vital development for Denbighshire and was of top priority. Project Leaders were working closely with the Welsh Government along with working in close and continuous partnership with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

The Integrated Health Community (IHC), Director of Operations thanked the Committee for being invited to the meeting and proceeded to present a presentation which included the following details: -

·       The Capital Project was complex in provision and delivery.

·       There were opportunities for the site to include additional services such as a Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) through the Business Case process.

·       Full Business Case (FBC) was approved for BCUHB in March 2021.

·       Welsh Government confirmed in December 2021 that the project was sound and approvable, funding now needed to be identified.

·       BCUHB approved an Estates Strategy in January 2023 placing the RAH project within the top 6 with a completed Full Business Case (FBC).

·       In January 2023 the Welsh Government requested that the Health Board confirm that the RAH was a priority and asked it to obtain support in principle from the Regional Partnership Board (RPB).  The Health Board were compiling a response.

·       Once full approval for funding was given, the project would take 3 months to mobilise and 31 months for the construction phase to complete.

The IHC Director explained that for every development there was a detailed process that needed to be followed within the Health Board. Although this had been a lengthy process, it had given the Health Board the opportunity to ensure that it was accurate, including several additional services of importance to be offered at the RAH site.

The approval process was explained to the Committee as outlined below:-

·       Strategic Outline Case

·       Outline Business Case

·       Full Business Case- Funding could then be agreed.

The IHC Director thanked the Council for their close partnership in aiding to deliver the project and welcomed questions from members.

A discussion between Members lead to questions being raised regarding the time that it had taken to get to this stage of the Project, and how long it would take to secure funding from the Welsh Government. Unfortunately, the IHC Director advised that she did not have the information however, she reassured the Committee that there would be a continued line of communication going forward.

Councillor Martyn Hogg expressed some concerns regarding understanding the approval process and the steps involved at each stage. He questioned if there was a flow chart that could be given to illustrate this and to support members’ understanding of the process. The IHC Director confirmed that there would be a flow chart that detailed the stages of the approval process as stated above. She continued to explain that there was a circuitous route for each of the stages outlined which afforded for questions to be asked. The current stage of the project was that questions had been asked by the Welsh Government of which needed to be responded to, this would then form part of the finalisation of the Business Case which would lead to funding being agreed. Over the coming weeks the IHC Director was hopeful that they would be in the position where they had responded to the Welsh Government, and this would then facilitate the final decision to be made.

Queries were raised around what  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5