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A Conservative Senedd Member has demanded “massive changes” at the Grange Hospital’s emergency department.

South Wales East MS Laura Anne Jones blasted the A&E department as being “not fit for purpose in any shape or form”.

She raised the concerns in the Senedd on Wednesday April 26 and highlighted her own recent experiences at the hospital last week – where she said she had to wait 17 hours and 45 minutes to see a doctor.

She also spoke of seeing other patients waiting long hours, including an 82-year-old man “with a hernia poking out of him” who decided to go home after 14 hours waiting.

She said: “For such a wonderful facility, when you get past the assessment doors the A&E space is utterly appalling, in design, comfort, and staff management.

“During the concept and construction of the Grange, the philosophy was going to be that of a critical care facility that wasn’t going to be particularly public facing.

“Clearly, that changed at a later date when pretty much all the structural decision-making had been completed and now patients are paying the price for this late, reckless change.”

She continued: “It is clear that massive changes need to happen. The Welsh Labour Government needs to get a grip of this situation along with Aneurin Bevan health board to ensure that scenes like I witnessed A&E in the Grange aren’t repeated.”

Responding, health minister Eluned Morgan admitted the emergency department’s performance was “not where I, the health board, nor the public want it to be”.

The minister pointed to Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s improvement plan, which she said was being supported with Welsh Government money to improve experiences at the hospital.

Mrs Morgan said the “responsibility for making this work” was with the health board and highlighted a “massive increase in demand”.

“We have made efforts to try and support changes in the Grange hospital, including £3.5 million capital, which has enabled that SDEC service to be established.

“I think they’re still having teething problems with that. Clearly they need to work out how to use that better.

“What I can tell you is that nearly three quarters of patients attending A&E in the Grange are spending less than four hours in departments.

“What I can also tell you is that Aneurin Bevan, I think, is planning to submit a case for capital funding to enable further building works to extend the emergency department, and we’re expecting that request to us to come in the autumn.”