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NHS Wales waiting lists and emergency department delays remain at “unacceptable” levels, the new health minister has admitted following the release of the latest health performance data.
June recorded the highest number of emergency department attendances for that month on record across Wales, placing severe strain on hospitals.
Wales’ health minister Mabon ap Gwynfor, who has been in post since May, described the figures as “disappointing and unacceptable” and admitted too many patients are waiting too long for treatment.
The Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government attributed part of June’s surge in emergency visits to prolonged hot weather, which led to a rise in heat-related illnesses requiring urgent medical attention.
Mr ap Gwynfor said the government is planning to expand surgical hubs to increase local hospital capacity and manage planned care separately from emergency admissions.
Health leaders hope the surgical hub approach will help reduce the elective care backlog.
Despite the pressure on emergency departments, the Welsh Ambulance Service met its target for “purple category” calls – the most severe emergencies involving cardiac or respiratory arrest – for the 12th consecutive month.
Preparations have already begun for anticipated winter pressures across health and social care services, the Welsh Government said.
The health minister took aim at the previous Labour-led administration and said: “My immediate priority is clear – cut the waiting list backlog inherited from the previous government, help those who have been waiting longest, and build an NHS here in Wales that can stand strong for generations to come.”
‘Stark warning’
Recent heatwaves should “serve as a stark warning” of the challenges facing the NHS year-round – not just in the winter months – according to Nesta Lloyd-Jones, assistant director of the Welsh NHS Confederation.
“Sustained hot weather, coupled with pressures such as wildfires, places additional strain on frontline services and increases risks for patients, staff and the wider health and care system,” Ms Lloyd-Jones explained.
She praised the “tireless” work of NHS staff to rise up to the challenges, and called for measures such as air conditioning and extra capacity in NHS buildings to counter “increasingly frequent extreme weather events”.
Ms Lloyd-Jones also highlighted the positives, and said: “Overall, referral-to-treatment pathways remain more than 100,000 lower than they were at the same point last year, and response times for the most serious life-threatening ambulance (purple) calls have met targets consistently for the past 12 months.”
‘Yet another deterioration’
Reform’s James Evans, the shadow health minister, was scathing in his review of the latest figures. He said: “These figures show yet another deterioration in health outcomes for patients in Wales. Two-year waits are rising, cancer treatment remains well below target, thousands of patients are enduring excessive waits in A&E, and ambulance response times have worsened once again.
“After years of propping up Labour governments and supporting their budgets, this Plaid administration cannot distance itself from the state of our NHS. It must now take responsibility for the immense pressures facing our health service.”
Casnewydd Islwyn’s Conservative MS Natasha Asghar, who is her party’s shadow health spokesperson, also accused Plaid of “propping up” the previous Labour government and said the party “cannot escape reality”.
Ms Asghar called on the Welsh Government to declare a health emergency and said: “Wales clearly needs more hospital beds, a robust NHS workforce strategy, a serious plan to cut waiting lists and immediate action to relieve pressure on emergency departments.”
Meanwhile, Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates said: “We’re disappointed to see the NHS waiting lists go in the wrong direction under this Plaid Cymru government.
“There have been a lot of warm words but no clarity for the people waiting – when do Plaid Cymru plan on eliminating two-year waits?”
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine called on the Welsh Government to set out its plans to tackle overcrowding in emergency departments.
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