Health Secretary opens new £4 million health and social care centre in Blaenau Ffestiniog

The centre has been built thanks to nearly £4 million of capital funding from the Welsh Government.

The changes to the services in the Blaenau Ffestiniog area were made following engagement and public consultation. The Health Board has worked with partners and stakeholders to develop its plans and services for the new facility.

The Blaenau Ffestiniog GP practice, managed by the Health Board, has moved into the new centre. The innovative General Medical Services model utilises the support of the wider primary care community in line with Welsh Government’s primary care strategy. The team includes one salaried GP supported by locums, a permanent Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Pharmacist and Musculo Skeletal Physiotherapy.

The new centre will also improve primary and community care in the area bringing services closer to patients’ homes. It will:

• Bring together consultant led palliative care; outpatients and specialist nurse clinics, consultant led respiratory outpatients clinics sessions under one roof
• Improve children’s services in the area by providing more child and adolescent mental health services
• Provide a permanent midwifery base and antenatal clinics
• Increase paediatric speech and language sessions
• Provide consultant paediatrician and community paediatrician outpatient sessions
• Provide a school nursing and health visiting service
• Offer community dental accommodation with potential to attract an NHS salaried dentist. 

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said: 

“Canolfan Goffa Ffestiniog will be crucial to the future health and well-being of the local population of Blaenau Ffestiniog and I was delighted to be at the official opening today.

“This is an important model for primary and community services that we could potentially look to replicate at other facilities in NHS Wales.”