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The name of the region’s health board could be changed to Swansea Bay University Health Board.

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) Health Board chiefs said the transfer of its Bridgend services to a neighbouring health board next year gave them the opportunity to come up with a name which more accurately reflected their smaller Swansea and Neath Port Talbot patch.

“Our current name is not helpful in terms of recruiting staff,” added board chairman Andrew Davies, who said Swansea Bay University Health Board could be an alternative.

He added that it was a name that could be easily translated into Welsh - and the new name would, if the option was taken forward, be bilingual.

Chief executive Tracy Myhill said: “My take is that unless it (a change) is minimal cost, it’s not going to happen."

She said they couldn't see money taken away from frontline services.

The health board would need to write to the Welsh Government requesting a name change, and then wait for its approval, before switching identities.

Swansea’s cabinet member for care, health and ageing well, Councillor Mark Child, said he felt the public would identify with the name Swansea Bay University Health Board.

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Questions were raised at the board meeting about who should have a say in any name change.

Mrs Myhill said there would be limited engagement as the health board only had a month to tell the Welsh Government its intentions due to legal arrangements relating to the transfer of ABMU's Bridgend services to Cwm Taf University Health Board next April.

She reckoned Swansea and Neath Port Talbot councils, trade unions, the Community Health Council, Swansea University and "staff perhaps" might be approached.

Costs involved in any name change would be lower than previous name changes, according to Mr Davies.

"A lot of it is digital, and costs would be a lot less than in the past," he said.

Board member Raymond Ciborowski joked that a public vote could result in a new name of Healthy McHealth Board, based on the situation which led to Boaty McBoatface topping a poll for the name of a new polar research vessel in 2016.

Mr Davies said ABMU came into being in 2009 following the merger of Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust and Swansea, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot local health boards.

It is one of seven health boards in Wales.

ABMU has had longstanding problems recruiting enough medical and nursing staff, which affects services and the bottom line as agency staff are more expensive. Other health boards in Wales have similar issues.

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Emma Woollett, ABMU’s vice-chairwoman, said: “We have a very, very high level of vacancies.”

The health board uses its own employees or a “staff bank” to fill in gaps in rotas, but if these options fail it uses agency staff.

In a response to a Freedom of Information request, ABMU said it spent £17.6 million on its staff bank in 2017-18 and £19.5 million on agency staff.

The costs of agency staff were £25.4 million two years previously and £13.3 million for the staff bank.

Its Freedom of Information response said: “As well as emphasising the career and learning opportunities offered by being part of such a large NHS organisation, we actively promote the great work-life balance that living in Swansea and South West Wales offers, including affordable housing, our beaches, countryside, etc.”

ABMU has a recruitment web page, which includes links extolling the benefits of the Swansea Bay area.