Working in partnership to improve

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Your Guide to Blaenau Gwent Health
Services September 2003
The purpose of this leaflet This leaflet contains
useful information, including contact addresses
and telephone numbers. Please keep it handy for
future reference or if you need to contact us.
Blaenau Gwent Local Health Board (LHB) will be
working closely with local partner organisations
and local people to improve the health of the
population of Blaenau Gwent. It will be crucial
to our success that we involve local people in
our work, allowing us to understand your health
needs and ensure that we secure health services
that respond directly to your needs.
How can you contact Blaenau Gwent Local Health
Board? We are situated at Station Hill,
Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent NP13
1UJ Telephone [phone] Fax 01495
325425 E-mail enquiries_at_blaenaugwentlhb.wales.nh
s.uk Web Site www.blaenaugwentlhb.wales.nhs.uk
Working in partnership to improve the health and
wellbeing of the people of Blaenau Gwent
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A Message from the Chief Executive
Blaenau Gwent Local Health Board was established
on 1st April 2003 as part of the Welsh Assembly
Governments reorganisation of the NHS in Wales.
The LHB will be working with local partner
organisations and local people to improve the
health of the population of Blaenau Gwent. The
LHB will aim to be an open and accessible
organisation, which is responsive to local people
and accountable to local people for the funding
we use on your behalf from the Welsh Assembly
Government. The people of Blaenau Gwent will
have every opportunity to be informed of our work
and are encouraged to become involved. The LHB
will be focusing upon making sure that quality
services are provided for local people. This
will be particularly important in primary care to
ensure standards continue to improve and local
access is maintained to doctors, dentists,
pharmacists and opticians. Joanne Absalom,
Chief Executive
How do I get involved?

• If you are interested in improving the health of
  the people of Blaenau Gwent, then why not
• Join one of the local Health Watch Groups for
  Abertillery District, Tredegar and Ebbw Vale
  (contact the LHB for details)
• Take part in any health surveys that may take
  place
• Join a local patient group/talk to us about
  starting a patient group (contact the LHB for
  details)

• Attend the Board meetings of the LHB to gain an
  insight into how we function (details are
  advertised in local press)
• Visit our website and use a feedback form to make
  comments feedback is vital to us for improving
  the quality of our service
• If you would like to find out more about how you
  can make a difference, why not contact Sharon
  Harford, Planning and Communications Officer, on
  01495 325427.

Complaints Procedure We can learn from
complaints and use your experiences to provide
better services. Please contact the LHB to
request a copy of our Complaints Policy and our
Guide to Making Complaints.
Working in partnership to improve the health and
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Useful telephone numbers
Emergency or out of hours contact numbers

• Tel [phone]
• Calls are charged at a local rate and there is a
  confidential translation service available.
• NHS Direct Wales is a 24 hour nurse-led,
  confidential helpline providing advice and
  information on
• what to do if youre feeling ill
• health concerns for you and your family
• local health services
• self-help and support organisations
• Website www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk

NHS Direct Wales
In the event of a doctor being required for
emergency or out of hours treatment, call your
own GP in the first instance and you will be
given instructions on what to do next to access
Gwent Urgent Primary Care.
Gwent Urgent Primary Care
In the event of a severe injury, a serious
accident or an emergency health problem, call
999. These will be dealt with at the Accident
and Emergency Unit at Nevill Hall Hospital or the
Royal Gwent. Minor casualties may be dealt with
at Blaina, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar hospitals.
Accident and Emergency
How do I register with a General Practice? Once
you have decided on the practice you wish to
register with you should telephone/visit the
surgery to see if the practice agrees to accept
you. You will be given an appointment to visit
the surgery and be given a medical check-up. If
you have difficulty in finding a practice,
contact Blaenau Gwent Local Health Board (tel
01495 325400), or the Business Service Centre,
Mamhilad House, Mamhilad Park Estate, Pontypool,
NP4 0YP (tel[phone]).
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Social Care covers a range of activities from
accommodation through to personal care. Blaenau
Gwent County Borough Council has a duty to
assess, via its Social Services Department, and
arrange for the provision of services for those
deemed to be in greatest need following such an
assessment. These services include
Residential Care, assistance with maintaining
independence, such as Home Care, and a range of
Day Service activities. The Authority also has a
duty to protect vulnerable children and adults
and arrange services for children in need.
Social Services Headquarters office is based at
Municipal Offices, Civic Centre, Ebbw Vale, NP23
6XB, Tel [phone].
Social Care
Gwent Community Health Council - The Health
Service Watchdogs for Gwent Area Committee Chair
for Blaenau Gwent Vernon Caldwell Public
Involvement Officer David Kenny Complaints
Advocate - Andrée Hayman Contacting Gwent CHC
Tel [phone] (24-hour answering service)
Fax [phone] Email address
gwentchc_at_chc.wales.nhs.uk Address Gwent CHC,
Mamhilad House, Mamhilad Park Estate, Pontypool,
NP4 OXH Office hours Monday to Friday 10.00am -
4.00pm Gwent CHC will be able to help you with
general advice on health services, advice and
help on complaints about the NHS and links to
other agencies.
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• Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust
• Address Grange House, Llanfrechfa Grange,
  Cwmbran, NP44 8YN
• Tel. No 01633 623623 Web Site
  http//www.gwent-tr.wales.nhs.uk
• The Trust has three large district general
  hospitals which serve people from the Blaenau
  Gwent area, providing the full range of acute
  surgical and medical services
• Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, Gwent, NP7
  7EG
• Tel [phone]
• Royal Gwent Hospital, Cardiff Road, Newport,
  Gwent, NP20 2UB
• Tel [phone]
• Caerphilly District Miners Hospital, St
  Martins Road, Caerphilly, CF83 2WW
• Tel [phone]
• These are supported by a network of community and
  mental health hospitals and day care premises.
  The following are located in Blaenau Gwent-
• Abertillery and District Hospital, Pendarren
  Road, Aberbeeg, Abertillery, NP13 2XA
• Tel [phone]
• Blaina District Hospital, Hospital Road,
  Blaina, Blaenau Gwent, NP23 4LY
• Tel [phone]
• Dan-y-Bryn Unit, Eureka Place, Ebbw Vale,
  Blaenau Gwent, NP23 6PN
• Tel [phone]
• Ebbw Vale Hospital, Hillside, Ebbw Vale, NP23
  5YA, Tel [phone]

Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations
(GAVO)
GAVO supports voluntary organisations through
training, funding, advice and
information recruits volunteers and provides a
comprehensive service to both
volunteers and voluntary organisations
encourages voluntary and statutory organisations
to work together in planning and participation.
GAVO can provide you with contact details for a
range of local organisations, including Citizens
Advice Bureau, carers and other health and social
care related organisations.
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GP Practices Main and Branch Surgeries
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wellbeing of the people of Blaenau Gwent
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GP Practices Main and Branch Surgeries
Working in partnership to improve the health and
wellbeing of the people of Blaenau Gwent
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GP Practices Main and Branch Surgeries
Working in partnership to improve the health and
wellbeing of the people of Blaenau Gwent
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Pharmacies
Pharmacy Helpline 01495 765066 This is a
recorded message, which gives details of
pharmacies across Gwent that have extended
opening times. These are situated in Asda
(Newport and Caerphilly), Safeway (Abergavenny)
and Tesco (Newport). For details of Pharmacy
hours of opening, contact NHS Direct on 0845 46
47, or alternatively you can contact Blaenau
Gwent Local Health Board, Monday to Friday,
between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm on 01495 325400.
Working in partnership to improve the health and
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Dental Practices
Dental Helpline 01495 765100 This is a staffed
service, which provides details of where you can
register with a NHS dentist or obtain emergency
treatment if you are unregistered. If you
contact your own dentist out of hours, and your
dentist is in the All Gwent rota, you will be
told to contact 01633 415011, which is Primecare.
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Ophthalmic Practices
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Please do not hesitate to contact Blaenau Gwent
LHB if you require information on any
organisation/local advisory group which is not
referred to in this leaflet. For further copies
of this leaflet, or for copies in an alternative
format, contact Blaenau Gwent LHB at Address
Station Hill Abertillery
Blaenau Gwent NP13 1UJ Telephone
01495 325400 Fax [phone] E-mail enqui
ries_at_blaenaugwentlhb.wales.nhs.uk Web
Site www.blaenaugwentlhb.wales.nhs.uk
Working in partnership to improve the health and
wellbeing of the people of Blaenau Gwent