£600m hospitals revamp plan unveiled for south-west Wales

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-33676635

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Radical plans for a £600m transformation of hospital services in south-west Wales have been revealed.

Swansea's Morriston Hospital would double in size and become a regional centre for specialist treatments.

The city's other hospital, Singleton, would be a centre of excellence for diagnostic and same-day care, working with GPs, opticians and dentists.

On-the-job training and the development of a medical science park also form part of the plans.

The project, known as Arch, is a collaboration between Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Hywel Dda health boards along with Swansea University.

It spans six local authority areas, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea - covering about one million people.

If the Welsh government backs the plans by sponsoring them, it could lead to funding from Europe, NHS capital funding and public-private investment.

"It breaks free from an outdated healthcare system designed more than 50 years ago and replaces it with an accessible one specifically planned for today's needs, in purpose-built or refurbished accommodation," said ABMU's director of strategy, Sian Harrop-Griffiths.

"It focuses on keeping people healthy, or better managing disease when they're ill."

She added: "Arch is more than abstract ideas. It represents a potentially huge regional investment."

Professor Marc Clement, chief executive of Swansea University's Institute of Life Science, said Arch will help south Wales and the region have a "global reputation for best practice, health care and patient well being".

He said: "The partnership will provide world-class health care delivering skills, talent development and innovation.

"It's really important we start immediately to deliver this project and have a fully integrated service by 2020.

"The aim is to attract the best talent and give people the highest quality of service we can."

Morriston Health Campus

Singleton Health Campus

The Hywel Dda Campus

Medical Science Park

Known as Medi-Park, it will set up: