"We have been proud to offer our support to the local health board over the last three months in response to the Covid-19 pandemic."
Geoff Bailey
Private outpatient appointments will resume this week (w/c 22nd June) at HMT Sancta Maria Hospital with a view to offering treatments from 7th July onwards.
Like many independent hospitals throughout Wales and the rest of the UK, HMT Sancta Maria Hospital suspended private procedures in March and offered its premises and staff to NHS Wales and Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) to assist with treatment for cancer patients through the pandemic.
HMT Sancta Maria Hospital is still contracted to SBUHB until 6th July and will prioritise NHS patients both in out-patients and theatres until then. Additional capacity will allow private outpatient appointments to take place in June and early July. These consultations will primarily take place over the phone or via video calls and it is anticipated that treatments resulting from these consultations can start again from 7th July.
Geoff Bailey, Hospital Director at HMT Sancta Maria Hospital comments: “We have been proud to offer our support to the local health board over the last three months in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our role has been to offer treatment to cancer patients who would normally have received their treatment at other facilities within the health board. The continued decline in Covid-19 cases across the health board has given us the opportunity to resume more of our private work and begin to see patients for treatment from next month. We look forward to engaging with patients who have been waiting during this period and we want to thank them for their patience.”
The hospital will prioritise patients whose treatment has been postponed due to Covid-19. A waiting list will be created to work through the backlog of appointments. Clinics will be offered to all consultants from this month going forward but some procedures, such as Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), may not be able to resume as yet because of the risks from Covid. The hospital will keep patients informed of any changes.
Work on HMT Sancta Maria’s new hospital in SA1 continues. It will offer advanced diagnostic equipment, including an onsite MRI scanner and digital X-Ray equipment. The hospital will have on site parking, easy transport links and improved disabled access. The hospital will be open in 2021.
