Concerns over the future of children’s services at Nevill Hall hospital are growing after it was revealed the local health board could axe the provision, leaving families stranded.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is considering shutting its paediatric services in Abergavenny due to staff figures being put under ‘extreme pressure’.

The proposal, which also threatens Newport’s Royal Gwent hospital, would see children’s provision being moved onto one of either site, and render local families seeking children’s services without local help.

The lack of concrete news prompted Monmouth MP David Davies to seek answers as to why the service was under threat.

Mr Davies said, “I am very concerned by these reports and will be writing to the Health Minister as a matter of urgency. ??“I want to know if this is due to Welsh Government funding cuts or the fact ABUHB is struggling to recruit new members of staff.”

Mr Davies added he has pushed officials at the health board for further information on the matter.

Councillor Douglas Edwards, whose Grofield ward contains Nevill Hall, said “It is disturbing to note there are staff shortages in the field of children services.

“Whichever hospital draws the short straw, the population in the Nevill Hall area have a similar problem as Newport is, on average, a journey of 20 miles.

“The hospital board have discussed, in fact, promised a new hospital at Llanfrecha but it seems all talk and no action.

“As one who has benefitted from an inpatient stay in the Royal Gwent, it does a fantastic job.

“In similar vein, Nevill Hall has served the people of North Gwent well, but we now need that new hospital, and the question of staff shortages would probably not exist.

“Children need the shortest journey possible and we urge the Health Board to find the staff necessary as soon as possible. This is assuming it is not just a cost-cutting exercise.”

?If the measures are pushed through, families living in Abergavenny could be forced to travel at least 20 miles to the Royal Gwent, depending on which site is earmarked for closure.

The news comes as a report from baby charity Bliss, which helps premature and sick babies, found that Welsh newborns were being put at risk due to staffing shortages.

The report also found staff numbers were squeezed to below national standards in half of units, putting in doubt staff ability to provide a ‘safe level of care’.

A spokesman for the local health board made assured the proposals were ‘in the early stages’ and further information would unlikely be made available until ‘at least after the summer’.

An earlier statement from Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said plans to centralise provision, including children’s services, were ‘longstanding’, and blamed ‘ongoing recruitment difficulties’.

The proposed move to a single site was deemed a ‘temporary measure’.

The statement said, “Although discussions are taking place, we would like to clarify that these are at a very early stage. No decision has yet been made by the health board.

“Ensuring we deliver the highest possible standards of paediatric care will remain our priority as we consider the future location of these services.”

Following a request from the Chronicle to clarify the situation, a spokesperson said staffing levels could not be maintained despite attempts to ensure both sites were staffed adequately.

The spokesperson said, “It has not proven possible to recruit and retain sufficient of either group and as a consequence the Nevill Hall service continues to be over-reliant on agency staff, with gaps covered in the short term by Consultant Paediatricians.

“Following a review, the Health Board has been seeking to strengthen its workforce plans but fragilities remain.

“The Health Board is keeping the situation under constant review, as well as considering contingency plans if it cannot safely maintain inpatient paediatric services, at both the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall Hospitals.”

Nevill Hall Hospital, which opened in 1969, provides the nearest and most comprehensive paediatric services for the area. A move would mean a considerable distance for families to travel.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said, “It’s for the local health board to ensure that paediatric services in their area are providing the right levels of care for their patients, with regard to national quality standards.

“It’s important to recognise that they are considering their options to maintain safe, high-quality paediatric inpatient services and no decision has been made.

“Although there are now more consultants, doctors, nurses, midwives and paramedics working in the Welsh NHS today than there were 10 years ago, there remain difficulties in recruiting to a number of specialities.

“Health boards are taking innovative approaches to address this and we will continue to support NHS staffing through commissioning appropriate education places and promoting Wales as a place to train, work and live.”