NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME FUNDS NEW PALLIATIVE CARE MACMILLAN UNIT NEAR LLANTRISANT
Professor Marcus Longley, Chair of Cwm Taf University Health Board, Rosamund Davies, County Organiser and Trustee at the NGS, George Plumptre, Chief Executive of the NGS and Richard Pugh, Head of Services in Wales at Macmillan Cancer Support.
Today Macmillan Cancer Support has announced that the charity’s long-standing partner, the National Garden Scheme (NGS), is making a £2.5million contribution towards a new Macmillan specialist care unit near Llantrisant. Whilst the NGS has funded Macmillan units in Bristol and Chesterfield in Derbyshire, this is the first time the organisation has funded a unit of its kind in Wales.
The NGS opens gardens in England and Wales and donates proceedings to a number of charities. Its significant donation to the new £7m Y Bwthyn Macmillan specialist care unit
is set to make a considerable difference to local people living with cancer.
The NGS’ donation comprises half of Macmillan’s £5m contribution to the unit which is currently being built at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. An additional £2m is being given by the Welsh Government through its All Wales Capital Programme.
Currently, palliative care in Rhondda and Taff Ely is provided at Y Bwthyn Pontypridd Cottage Hospital. By building a new unit at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, people will no longer have to travel the 20-minute journey between the two hospitals for treatment. Rather, an excellent level of support will be provided in one welcoming location.
The new state-of-the-art unit is designed by architects who specialise in building palliative care environments. With eight beds, it will provide inpatient, outpatient and specialist care for people with incurable cancer and other conditions.
Based on feedback from patients, artists will create material for the new unit using the theme of bringing the outdoors in. Another connection with nature is that each room will give people the ability to go outside in their beds onto screened terraces if they wish to.
George Plumptre, Chief Executive at the NGS said, “We have been working with Macmillan for over 30 years and are honoured to be able to help people affected by cancer through our donation to this new unit. We hope that our contribution to the Y Bwthyn Macmillan specialist care unit will make a real difference to people living with cancer and their loved ones in Llantrisant for many years to come.”
Richard Pugh, Head of Services in Wales for Macmillan Cancer Support said: “We are thrilled that the NGS is contributing £2.5m to the new Y Bwthyn Macmillan specialist care unit at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, which is half of Macmillan’s overall £5m donation.
“The NGS’ generous donation is helping us build this state-of-the-art palliative care unit for the people of the Rhondda and Taf Ely. Work is already underway and we look forward to seeing the great difference it will make to local people at the end of their lives.”
Professor Marcus Longley, Chair of Cwm Taf University Health Board said: “We are delighted that the NGS is involved in the new state-of-the-art specialist unit at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital which has been designed to provide patients with the high quality care they need in a comfortable environment for both them and their loved ones.”
Work on the Y Bwthyn Macmillan specialist care unit began in November 2017 and it is due to open for patients in 2019.
