The front of the hospital could be turned into a nursing home

The Bro Ddyfi hospital has lurched from one crisis to another over the past six months with staff shortages and illness blamed for a series of ward closures.

The hospital's five-bed unit for elderly mentally ill patients has been closed for two weeks because of staff illness.

Now a project team appointed by Powys Local Health Board says that partial demolition is the best of six options to revamp the hospital.

On occasion even now there aren't beds available for people so they have to be moved on somewhere else Sylvia Rowlands, town councillor

The new building would provide 30 nursing home beds.

But this would mean medical beds would be cut from 33 to 25 and maternity unit beds from three to one.

Worry

Other options include total demolition so that the whole site could be redeveloped, but the project team admits this would mean temporary loss of services in Machynlleth.

A third option is to convert the front of the hospital to a nursing home and redevelop the rear for hospital facilities.

The plans were revealed to Machynlleth town councillors, and former mayor Sylvia Rowlands said: "Although we do need a nursing care facility we must be careful that we don't lose the facilities we have already got.

The EMI unit is currently closed for two weeks

"The proposed reduction of medical beds is a worry because on occasion even now there aren't beds available for people so they have to be moved on somewhere else."

Machynlleth county councillor Michael Williams said he welcomed the report.

"I believe this provides a strong platform for discussions about the future of the hospital to take place over the coming months," he added.

"But we should ask the board to provide up to 35 nursing home beds so that when these beds are not used by the people of the Machynlleth area they can generate income by providing beds for the people of north Ceredigion and south Meirionnydd."

The new project aims to cater for an ageing population in the Machynlleth area, where 28 % of people are of pensionable age, six points higher than the Powys average.

Andy Williams, Powys Local Health Board's chief executive said: "We are committed to the future of Bro Ddyfi as a front-line community health care facility for the people of Machynlleth."

A health board spokesman said the project team's proposals would be considered by the board in the spring.

Recommendations would then be released for public consultation this summer.