Hywel Dda University Health Board’s hard working staff have been awarded at a special ceremony in Llandudno to acknowledge innovative Welsh language services.

Teifi Surgery in Llandysul won an award for their innovative practice in primary care responding to patients’ need for a bilingual service.

In order to build on their Welsh language provision, they now record patients’ language choice, and send all patient correspondence in their language of choice.

Sion Page, receptionist at Teifi Surgery said: “A year has passed since we looked at our Welsh language provision policy at the surgery. After revisiting the old policy we saw that there was room for improving the provision and use of the Welsh language.

“Since we have improved the provision at the surgery, we’ve had a positive response from our patients who tell us that it is much more homely here now.”

The boards Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) has created an innovative project unique to Hywel Dda UHB called ‘Getting the Lowdown Wales: An Emotional Wellbeing Resource’ also won an award.

The project is designed to provide teachers in Education and Health and facilitators in colleges with young people with the tools they need to educate and engage young people around issues of mental health and emotional well being.

At the heart of the project is a bilingual DVD which features various materials for facilitators to use with young people from 5-18 years old.

Both teachers and students have found the resource to be good, easy to navigate and engaging through its interactive nature.

Elizabeth Ryan-Davies, Director Mental Health and Learning Disabilities said: “It’s a privilege to win this award at the Welsh Language in Health Care Awards. Our aim is to increase early intervention and the promotion prevention of emotional and mental health by rolling out this package to schools and colleges in partnership with other agencies across Wales. We felt that it was of upmost importance to produce this DVD bilingually.”

Sarah Jennings, Director of Governance, Communications and Engagement with responsibility for the Welsh language said: “We as an organisation are very pleased to have two winners in the Welsh Language in Health Awards this year. Our staff work hard in order to meet the language needs of patients, and we are proud to see that they’re being recognised for this. The Welsh language is very important to us at Hywel Dda UHB, as we strive to improve patient care in their language of choice. We look forward to further developing our Welsh language provision as we introduce the Welsh Language Standards in the near future.”