A LACK of available beds across hospitals in North Wales is leading to unprecedented ambulance delays across Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB). 

BCUHB has declared internal critical incident; the health board is struggling to cope with the "prolonged and significant demand" on the health system.

As a result, all but the most urgent procedures across the hospital sites [including Glan Clwyd Hospital, Ysbyty Gwynedd and Wrexham Maelor], have been postponed.

Gill Harris, Interim Chief Executive at BCUHB, said: "We regret that this will impact on a number of patients who were due to receive planned care over the next few days and sincerely apologise to all those affected, who will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

"The demand on services right across the health system over recent days has been unprecedented due to a combination of winter viruses, parents seeking help due to concerns about Strep A and injuries associated with the cold weather. This has meant extremely long waits for patients to be seen – particularly at our hospital Emergency Departments.

"The Royal College of Nursing industrial action that is due to take place again tomorrow and the Wales Ambulance Service action on Wednesday will limit our ability to respond even further.

"This is an exceptionally challenging time for colleagues across our health services and we are hugely grateful for the continued efforts being made in such difficult circumstances."

BCUHB is working with the local authority in order to support "medically fit" patients to be discharged from hospital.

Similar pressures are being experienced in other health boards and English Trusts.

Ms Harris said: "We are working hard to plan and prepare for how we continue to run urgent services during the upcoming days of industrial action.

"Discussions with unions are ongoing to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of appropriately qualified staff available for areas where the failure to provide services would result in a direct danger to life.

"Staff working in these services will be able to strike only if there is sufficient cover available to ensure patient safety.

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"As last week, we will contact patients directly if any services they are due to access on days of industrial action are affected."

Darren Millar, MS for Clwyd West, said: “The NHS in North Wales seems to be under year round pressure so this announcement will come as no surprise to anyone working in it or who has recently attended an emergency department.

“The fundamental challenge facing the health service in the region is the lack of staff and beds in our hospitals.

“The Welsh Government has failed to train enough doctors and nurses for decades and the chickens are now coming home to roost and their plans to cut the health budget next year will only make this situation worse.

“Instead of lurching from one crisis to the next, we need a clear plan of action from the health minister to turn this situation around once and for all.”

Gareth Davies, MS for Vale of Clwyd, said: "I'm very concerned to hear this news and as ever there is plenty of disappointment but no shock to hear that our health board in North Wales is once again unable to cope – it is, sadly, a recurring tale for staff and patients in the area who have been let down by the way the local NHS has been run by the Welsh Government.

“We need to hear urgently from Health Minister, Eluned Morgan to know what the plan of action is, especially with more strikes from nurses and ambulance workers imminent – patients must have confidence that they can access safe healthcare.”

“When we see that the problem is insufficient beds, it hurts all the more when we know Labour has cut a third of NHS beds in the devolution era and have waited so long to address bed-blocking where healthy people are stuck in hospital because they cannot be discharged somewhere safe.

“2022 has been a bad year for Betsi Cadwaladr with an increase in treatment waiting lists, A&E waits, and ambulance response times all hitting their worst rates on record over the last 12 months."

Councillor Elen Heaton, Cabinet Lead Member for Health and Social Care at Denbighshire County Council, said: “It is our normal working practice to regularly support our colleagues in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board with managing the safe discharge of fit to transfer patients out of hospital into social care provision that the Council helps provide and support across Denbighshire. However, we recognise there is currently pressure across the whole health and social care system.

“We urge our residents to help reduce this pressure by making the most appropriate choice of health care for any illness or injury."

BCUHB is urging members of the public who need help to contact 111 in the first instance to be advised about the most appropriate service, which might be self-care at home, a visit to the pharmacy, a GP appointment, a Minor Injuries Unit or, in life threatening circumstances, the hospital Emergency Department.

Ms Harris added: "As always, our Emergency Departments will remain open and will see patients in order of clinical priority.

"We regret that we anticipate that those who do attend will face extremely long waits to be seen while staff on duty do all they can to keep patients safe."