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Rhyl Journal
12-06-2025
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
Patients waiting up to 48 hours to be seen in North Wales
The issue was raised at a social care and health scrutiny committee at Coed Pella, where councillors grilled Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board chiefs on the state of the NHS in North Wales. Attending the meeting were Dyfed Edwards, chair of the health board; Gareth Evans, integrated health community director; and Alison Cowell, assistant area director for child and adolescent health. Mr Edwards began by acknowledging the challenges the board has faced since being placed in special measures two years ago. He told councillors there had been 'challenges in every area' but claimed the situation had since stabilised. He also pointed to significant reductions in patient backlogs. He said there had been a 43% reduction in the number of patients waiting two years or more for treatment. MORE NEWS: Health board looking at changing planning application review process Park and Ride scheme could return to Glan Clwyd Hospital to ease parking woes Woman 'outsourced and ostracised' after 10-month wait for Glan Clwyd scan results Health chiefs added that a number of areas had improved, citing the example of Ysbyty Glan Clwyd's emergency department, which in 2022 been designated as a Service Requiring Significant Improvement (SRSI) due to concerns raised by the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. It was de-escalated following an unannounced follow-up inspection of the Emergency Department in 2024. LATEST NEWS: 'Large group of caravans' are found parked on private land in Rhuddlan Rhyl bar opens with golf simulator, interactive darts and karaoke booth Man ignored red light in Rhyl – now he's been handed a fine and points But the claims were met with opposition from councillors, including Cllr Cheryl Carlisle, who questioned how the department could have been de-escalated while patient experiences remained 'worse than ever'. She said: 'You say that Ysbyty Glan Clwyd (YGC), the emergency department (E.D) there, has been de-escalated by the Health Inspectorate for Wales, but the patient experience for those of us in Conwy is worse than ever. 'There are waits of 48 hours. I regularly witness my residents for 48 hours in chairs in corridors, and I'm not quite sure how de-escalation has come around, when things are patently so bad in this central area.' Responding, Gareth Evans defended the board's progress, insisting some performance measures had improved, although he acknowledged major pressures remained. He said: 'I don't think waits have got worse. I think, in some areas, performance data is telling us things have got a bit better. 'So things like how long people are waiting in ambulances before they are offloaded has actually got better; however, there are still some areas which probably haven't improved and probably are pretty much the same. 'So, we still have far too many people that wait more than 12 hours for admission once they need to be admitted. That is a key performance indicator that we are not getting worse on, but we are struggling to make the improvements that we would like to. 'And that is because that particular key performance measure is highly dependent on things that go on outside the emergency department – how long people are delayed getting home from hospital, and indeed, how many people are coming to the front door in the first place. 'So, I wouldn't want to play down the experience of people who use our services and our E.D. at YGC (who say it) still isn't good enough. It isn't. But the concerns that the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales identified when they placed us into special measures have been addressed.' He added: 'But it doesn't mean it's perfect by any means. The problems we have at YGC E.D. are probably no different than the ones we have at E.D. departments anywhere in the UK, I would suggest. 'So there is lots, lots more improvement work going on, and we will need to go on so that hopefully, one day, you'll sit here and say things have got better.'
Wales Online
09-06-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Patients 'waiting 48 hours in hospital corridors' but Betsi health board says things are getting better
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info NHS chiefs were asked how Ysbyty Glan Clwyd's emergency department could be 'de-escalated' when patients in Conwy are still reportedly waiting up to 48 hours in hospital corridors. The issue was raised at a social care and health scrutiny committee at Conwy council's Coed Pella HQ, where councillors grilled Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board chiefs on the state of the NHS in North Wales. Attending the meeting were Dyfed Edwards, chair of the health board; Gareth Evans, integrated health community director; and Alison Cowell, assistant area director for child and adolescent health. Mr Edwards began by acknowledging the challenges the board has faced since being placed in special measures two years ago. He told councillors there had been 'challenges in every area' but claimed the situation had since stabilised. He also pointed to significant reductions in patient backlogs. He said there had been a 43% reduction in the number of patients waiting two years or more for treatment. Sign up for the North Wales Live newslettersent twice daily to your inbox. Health chiefs added that a number of areas had improved, citing the example of Ysbyty Glan Clwyd's emergency department, which in 2022 been designated as a Service Requiring Significant Improvement (SRSI) due to concerns raised by the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. It was de-escalated following an unannounced follow-up inspection of the Emergency Department in 2024. But the claims were met with opposition from councillors, including Cllr Cheryl Carlisle, who questioned how the department could have been de-escalated while patient experiences remained 'worse than ever'. She said: "You say that Ysbyty Glan Clwyd (YGC), the emergency department (E.D) there, has been de-escalated by the Health Inspectorate for Wales, but the patient experience for those of us in Conwy is worse than ever. There are waits of 48 hours. I regularly witness my residents for 48 hours in chairs in corridors, and I'm not quite sure how de-escalation has come around, when things are patently so bad in this central area." Responding, Mr Gareth Evans defended the board's progress, insisting some performance measures had improved, although he acknowledged major pressures remained. He said: "I don't think waits have got worse. I think, in some areas, performance data is telling us things have got a bit better. 'So things like how long people are waiting in ambulances before they are offloaded has actually got better; however, there are still some areas which probably haven't improved and probably are pretty much the same. So, we still have far too many people that wait more than 12 hours for admission once they need to be admitted. That is a key performance indicator that we are not getting worse on, but we are struggling to make the improvements that we would like to. "And that is because that particular key performance measure is highly dependent on things that go on outside the emergency department - how long people are delayed getting home from hospital, and indeed, how many people are coming to the front door in the first place. "So, I wouldn't want to play down the experience of people who use our services and our E.D at YGC (who say it) still isn't good enough. It isn't. But the concerns that the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales identified when they placed us into special measures have been addressed.' He added: "But it doesn't mean it's perfect by any means. The problems we have at YGC E.D are probably no different than the ones we have at E.D departments anywhere in the UK, I would suggest. "So there is lots, lots more improvement work going on, and we will need to go on so that hopefully, one day, you'll sit here and say things have got better.' Public notices in your area
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Betsi Cadwaladr chair says longest NHS waits to end by 2026
Wales' largest and most troubled health board has said no patients will be waiting for more than two years for NHS treatment by the end of this Edwards, chairman of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, said he was "fairly confident" there will be no one on the long-term waiting list by next north Wales health board has been under the highest level of Welsh government scrutiny for the best part of a decade with the situation there being described as "acute".Figures for March, released two weeks ago, showed long-term waits across Wales falling to 8,389, the lowest since April 2021, but the majority - 5,747 - were in Betsi Cadwaladr. In December, First Minister Eluned Morgan pledged to cut the number of patients in Wales waiting two years or more for planned treatments, from 24,000 to "about 8,000" by this spring. Opposition parties said the March figures showed that target had been missed. On Wednesday, Mr Edwards told Newyddion S4C: "We're facing a capacity situation - that's the central question. "By the end of the end of this calendar year I'm fairly confident that no one will be waiting more than two years for treatment within this health board."Speaking in the Senedd earlier this week, Health Secretary Jeremy Miles confirmed that Swansea Bay, Hywel Dda, and Powys health boards had no patients waiting more than two he said Cardiff and the Vale and Betsi Cadwaladr had missed their told MSs: "The problem is most acute in north Wales, where from this week, Welsh government officials will work alongside health board staff themselves to focus on turning around its planned care position."I expect the health board to meet its plans to significantly reduce long waits by the end of the first quarter of this year."The Welsh Conservatives have been calling for a public inquiry into the health board which was first placed in special measures in June 2015 and is still under Welsh the highest level of Welsh government scrutiny. 'Hold our hand' Newyddion S4C asked Mr Edwards when he expected that to be lowered."Our focus is on improving the health board itself, and the health and wellbeing provision for north Wales," he said."I think that coming out of special measures will be a by-product of the success of the health board."When asked about the target of cutting the two-year waiting list for treatment, he added: "We're facing a capacity situation - that's the central question. "By the end of this calendar year I'm fairly confident that no-one will be waiting more than two years for treatment within this health board."On the health secretary's announcement that government officials were working alongside health board staff to focus on turning around its planned care position, he explained that the officials are there "to look at what steps we're taking, to understand some of the challenges that we're facing, and sometimes to hold our hand while we're doing the work"."I think we've shown government officials that we're on the right track. "Sometimes the government need that reassurance and there's nothing better than coming in to see for yourself, to get that evidence, and I think that's what they've done this past week."
