nikinkHow do I ask my GPO for a blood test to check my T Cells and CD8 cells given I've had #Covid twice and he insists it's nothing to worry about because he "hasn't sent anyone to hospital because of covid for a while"?
EditorCarmarthen’s old Debenhams reborn as ‘Atriwm’ — but opening pushed back to 2027
The former Debenhams store in St Catherine’s Walk is being transformed into a huge multi‑service hub called Atriwm (pronounced Ah‑tree‑oom), bringing everything from NHS clinics to a 24‑hour gym under one roof. But the project, already hit by delays and extra costs, won’t open until early 2027 after more problems were uncovered in the building’s façade.
The centrepiece scheme — heavily funded by both the UK and Welsh Governments — is one of Carmarthenshire’s biggest regeneration projects in years. But it comes just days after Swansea Bay News revealed the council needed an extra £2m to fix unexpected structural issues in the old department store.
What will actually be inside Atriwm?
Step inside the revamped building and it becomes clear the council is trying to create something far bigger than a simple replacement for Debenhams. Actif will run its first ever 24‑hour gym on the site, complete with high‑spec spin studios, activity rooms and a full TAG Active arena aimed at families and fitness fans. There’ll be indoor adventure golf, a children’s play centre and even electric go‑karting, turning part of the old department store into a leisure complex in its own right.
Alongside that sits the more practical side of the project. The council’s Customer Service Hwb will move in, offering face‑to‑face help with everything from council tax to housing queries, while a new visitor information outlet will support tourism across the town and wider county.
Hywel Dda University Health Board will take over a large section of the building, bringing together services that are currently scattered across Carmarthen. Community and children’s nursing teams, therapies for young people, dental care, sexual health, podiatry, mental health support and phlebotomy will all operate from the new centre. The Health Board’s People Development team will also be based there, using the building as a modern training hub for staff.
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David will add another layer, running its sport and exercise therapy clinics from Atriwm. Students on the bilingual BSc Sport and Exercise Therapy course will treat clients under supervision, with the gym and health services just metres away — a setup the university says will give students real‑world experience while offering the public easier access to treatment.
The council says the idea is to put health, fitness, advice and leisure in one central, accessible location — and to breathe life back into a major retail unit that’s been empty since Debenhams collapsed.
Why ‘Atriwm’?
The name is a nod to Carmarthen’s Roman history — the Latin atrium meaning the central hall of a Roman home. It also happens to be the name of one of the chambers of the human heart, which the council says reflects the building’s health‑and‑wellbeing purpose.
And in a more modern twist, it’s also a reference to the huge glass frontage of the old Debenhams building.
The former Debenhams building in St Catherine’s Walk, Carmarthen, which is being transformed into a new health, leisure and education hub. (Image: Google Maps)Delays, traffic disruption and more work needed
Atriwm was originally due to open in early 2026, but the date has now slipped to 2027 after contractors discovered the building’s façade needed major remedial work.
Bouygues UK will soon begin repairs, and a traffic management system will be in place on St Catherine’s Street until autumn 2026 — meaning drivers face months of disruption.
Local firms including FP Hurley, Shufflebottom and Becker Sliding Partitions are involved in the build, which the council says is supporting local supply chains.
Council: “Thank you for your patience”
Cllr Hazel Evans, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said the name reflected Carmarthen’s heritage and the building’s new purpose.
She added:
“I would like to thank the local community and drivers for their patience… Further details on the progress of Atriwm will be updated throughout the year as we look forward to opening the facility in 2027.”
NHS and university say the centre will transform services
Hywel Dda University Health Board said the move would bring a wide range of services together “at the heart of the community”, while UWTSD said the centre would give students valuable hands‑on experience in a professional setting.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
£146m Carmarthenshire capital plan includes market demolition, school upgrades and Debenhams delay
Major projects across the county — including the Atriwm redevelopment — face new timelines and costs.
Work starts to prepare former Debenhams for new tenants
Contractors begin the first phase of transforming the landmark store after years of vacancy.
Council announces three businesses to move into former city centre Debenhams
New tenants are confirmed as the council pushes ahead with its regeneration plans.
Council unveils family entertainment centre plans for former Debenhams
A major leisure development is proposed to breathe new life into the empty department store.
Dreaming of bogwitcheryHydrogen peroxide gets bloodstains out of fabric without damaging it.
Can't believe that I, a woman this many years old, was unaware, so I'm sharing the hack without shame. May your daughters know soon and forever.
Thanks, "freak accident" at a 10 vial blood draw and the horrified phlebotomist who told me their secret!
2/2 has held true, even with the white winter coat I had in my lap. Will never cold water soak again.
nyx mirMy hematocrit has been low my last few blood tests... because of gender!
Last September I changed my chart gender to be nonbinary. Instead of expanding the gender range to include the male & female ranges, they assigned me the male range. Because of course.
Now my hematocrit is low, despite actually being in the AFAB range. luv 2 gender
#ThisWholeThingSmacksOfGender #Phlebotomy #CompleteBloodCount #Bloodwork
Health Board confirms temporary transfer of Gorseinon Hospital inpatient beds to Singleton
The decision, taken at the Board’s monthly meeting on Thursday 25 September, follows weeks of speculation and community concern after Swansea Bay News first revealed the proposals earlier this month.
Safety concerns drive decision
The Health Board said the move was necessary after repeated warnings about staffing levels on Gorseinon’s 30‑bed West Ward, where up to half of shifts were being covered by agency or temporary staff. Senior clinicians, including the Executive Director of Nursing and consultant geriatricians, advised that the situation posed too many risks to patient safety to continue.
By consolidating the beds at Singleton, the Board says staff will be able to support one another more effectively, with access to wider nursing, therapy and medical teams as well as stronger leadership capacity.
Gorseinon Hospital “not closing”
The announcement comes after councillors and local campaigners pressed the case for inpatient services to remain in Gorseinon. The Health Board has again stressed that the hospital itself is not closing, and that a wide range of services will continue on site.
These include musculoskeletal physiotherapy, respiratory and cardiology clinics, the Heart Failure Clinic, community nursing teams, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, phlebotomy, Parkinson’s nurses and health visiting services.
A spokesperson said: “At all times during the discussion on the temporary relocation of the inpatient ward, the ongoing important role of Gorseinon Hospital was emphasised and a commitment made to its long‑term future as a vibrant and important healthcare hub.”
Community engagement promised
The Board has committed to holding a dedicated engagement event in Gorseinon in the New Year as part of its wider Clinical Services Plan. This will give local people the chance to feed into decisions about the long‑term shape of services across Swansea Bay.
In the meantime, discussions are taking place with patients and families affected by the transfer, as well as with staff whose roles will move to Singleton. The transfer is expected to take effect from 1 October.
Councillors vow to keep up pressure
Local councillors, who met with Health Board leaders earlier this month, said they welcomed assurances that Gorseinon Hospital will remain open but would continue to push for inpatient services to return. A petition calling for services to be protected has already attracted hundreds of signatures.
Related articles
- Health board considers moving all inpatient beds from Gorseinon Hospital to Singleton
Initial proposals revealed plans to transfer “step‑down” beds to Singleton due to staffing pressures.
- Health Board insists Gorseinon Hospital will not close as councillors press case for in‑patient services
Local councillors sought assurances after concerns grew over the hospital’s future role.
- Health Board update on transfer of inpatient beds from Gorseinon to Singleton
Board confirms temporary relocation of beds from 1 October, citing patient safety concerns.
#cardiologyClinic #communityNursing #Gorseinon #GorseinonHospital #HeartFailureClinic #hospitalSafety #musculoskeletalPhysiotherapy #occupationalTherapy #ParkinsonS #Phlebotomy #respiratoryClinic #SingletonHospital #speechAndLanguageTherapy #SwanseaBayUniversityHealthBoard #wardClosure
Ms. Que BanhGetting some more blood tests done before heading back to work. They're taking 6 vials today 🩸💉
Hudson
Health board says new home for hospital blood tests will provide “speedier service”
Swansea Bay University Health Board has announced that Morriston Hospital’s outpatient phlebotomy service has been given a new permanent home.
Previously located on the right hand side, as you walked through the main doors, it can now be found to the left, opposite WH Smiths.
The service provides routine blood test appointments and same day (urgent) blood tests when booked by a GP, hospital consultant or healthcare provider.
The health board says it is hoped the relocation, carried out under its Capital Planning programme, will help facilitate a speedier service.
Laura McKelvie-Seth, Pre-Analytical Service Manager, said: “Our outpatient phlebotomy in Morriston Hospital has moved to a new permanent location, at the front of the hospital, opposite WH Smiths.
“Phlebotomy was originally based at the front of the hospital, on the right hand side in the ‘new’ outpatients area, when it was opened.
“During Covid, when the front of the hospital was changed to support clinical need, phlebotomy was move into temporary areas around the outpatient department but it included sharing the discharge lounge with the surgical team, and, more recently, the rooms at the front of wards K and L.
“Having a permanent, purpose-built facility is a huge benefit to staff and also to patients who have not always known where the department would be during the multiple moves.
“The other bonus is it is at the front of the hospital. As phlebotomy appointments are only 5 minutes long, and it makes it more convenient for people to attend.”
Mark Parsons, Swansea Bay’s Assistant Director of Capital Planning, said: “We are delighted to be able to provide the phlebotomy service with a new home, and keep it onsite, as part of our post-Covid redevelopment of the atrium area of Morriston Hospital.
“The work has was made possible thanks to the financial support of Welsh Government.”
Swansea Bay phlebotomist, Sheena Oldham welcomed the move.
Swansea Bay phlebotomist, Sheena Oldham(Image: Swansea Bay NHS)
She said: “As a service we’ve been pushed around from pillar to post over the past few years with Covid meaning the health board had to put other people in the places we have been.
“But now we have a lovely new home.
You come in through the main entrance and take a left down towards WH Smith, and we are on the left hand side.”
Katy Stableford, Assistant Divisional Manager for Clinical Support Services, Pathology, in Morriston Hospital, thanked the public for their patience.
She said: “Our service users have been very patient since the pandemic and our staff have been excellent at moving and adapting to different spaces on the hospital site, while we waited for the redevelopment of the space near the main entrance of Morriston Hospital.
“It is lovely to be in our new permanent home, so much more convenient for the users of the service to be able to have a blood test closer to the main entrance and a boost for our staff.”
The move follows the development of new community phlebotomy clinics in Gorseinon, Port Talbot Resource Centre and Central Clinic in 2022/23 – with more to follow.
Katy said: “We are continuing to develop our services across Health Board sites and will be relocating phlebotomy at Singleton Hospital closer to the main entrance and outpatient department in the near future.
“As with all developments in the health board this has been a team effort and we would like to thank our colleagues in capital planning and estates for their continued support.”
(Lead image: Swansea Bay NHS)
#bloodTests #MorristonHospital #Phlebotomy #Swansea #SwanseaBayNHS
Fake Scrum Stats Memes & Humor
Clayton HoveAccording to the website, today was going to be my 200th successful donation (out of 201 tries). According to their computers, this is only donation 199. Bummer. Next time.
