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The postponement of planned appointments and clinics on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral is a “blow” to patients, a Senedd Member has said.

The late monarch’s funeral will be held on Monday, September 19 – with the day being declared a bank holiday.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board announced yesterday that as well as appointments being cancelled, most GPs and pharmacies will also be closed – but out-of-hours and emergency care will continue.

However, South Wales East Wales Senedd Member Peredur Owen Griffiths said it was “hard to justify”.

The Plaid Cymru MS said: “This will be a blow to many patients who were scheduled to be seen this Monday. We know from figures that nearly 100,000 patients in Wales are waiting longer than a year for their first outpatient appointment.

“Some of those people who were due to be seen Monday will have been waiting considerably longer than a year.

“The pandemic has undoubtedly exacerbated the backlog in the Welsh NHS and made conditions challenging for staff and patients alike – this is why the postponements for Monday are hard to justify.”

Mr Owen Griffiths added: “We know that further delays can result in conditions worsening and it is incumbent upon the health board to ensure that those who won’t be seen on Monday will be issued with a new appointment in the immediate future.”

In a statement, the health board said: “Some patients may be contacted due to the urgency of their appointment to proceed if agreed with patients and the teams.

“The health board will be in contact with all patients affected by this announcement to make alternative arrangements for their care.

“GP surgeries and most community pharmacies will be closed on the day, and we will be encouraging residents to order repeat prescriptions this week.

“Our urgent and emergency care services will continue on the bank holiday.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this unavoidable disruption to our services.”