A NEW health and wellbeing centre will be created in the Gwendraeth Valley.

Hywel Dda University Health Board confirmed earlier this week that the outline business case for a new health and wellbeing centre in Cross Hands has been approved by the Welsh Government.

The project is being led by the health board in partnership with Carmarthenshire County Council and Tumble and Penygroes GP practices.

The aim of the centre is to provide a base for health and care services, accommodating community health services including the aforementioned GP practices, a library service, early years centre, community police support officers and voluntary third sector groups.

The full list of planned services to be at the clinic as listed in the business model is: Cross Hands and Tumble medical partnership, Penygroes Surgery community health teams, specialist care for chronic conditions, midwives, health visitors, community nursing teams, community children’s nursing, physio, OT, SALT therapies and dietetics, podiatry, mental health and CRT duty team.

There are also plans for the integrated early years centre, transformed community based service to families for children aged 0-12, adult and paediatric community audiology, community pharmacy, a social community care shared space for community run events, space for research and innovation, social prescribing police, police, Carmarthenshire County Council, community library and resource area and a café/refreshment area.

There will also hopefully be undergraduate and postgraduate placement opportunities.

Rhian Matthews, Hywel Dda University Health Board and Carmarthenshire County Council’s integrated system director, said: “The approval of the outline business case is welcome news, and we now turn our focus to developing the full business case for the scheme.

“The development of this centre in Cross Hands is a key priority for the health board and partner organisations and is central to the delivering the vision of the health board’s long-term strategy, A Healthier Mid and West Wales: Our Future Generations Living Well, to create an integrated, patient centric, community based and social model of care.”

Following the approval by the Welsh Government, the plans can now move on to the next stage of development including the full business case stage and will also refine plans for an integrated health and social care network services for the Amman Gwendraeth area and the construction of the new centre.