One of Wales' busiest accident and emergency departments is seeing a huge rise in patient numbers which is putting services under extreme pressure. Aneurin Bevan University Health Board warned that only people with life-threatening illnesses and injuries should travel to The Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran.
A spokesperson for the health board confirmed that 340 patients were seen in the A&E on Monday, October 17 which resulted in some less urgent cases waiting up to 12 hours to be seen by a doctor. On a usual day, they added that the department sees between 140 and 220 patients.
On Tuesday morning at 10am the spokesperson added that there were already 100 people in the unit. Dr Alastair Richards, clinical director for the health board, said: "We are currently seeing around a 30% increase in the number of patients in the emergency department compared to a usual busy day."
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He added: "We know that around 300 people who turn up at The Grange University Hospital each week have minor illnesses that could be treated elsewhere. With things as they are at the moment, people attending with such minor illnesses are likely to be waiting a very long time to be seen."
The health board has urged people to call 111 for advice, or use the online NHS Wales symptom checker, before attending the emergency department. For non-life threatening illnesses, people have been told to visit their local pharmacist or contact their GP surgery.
"Alternatively, if you have a minor injury, please visit the minor injury units in Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr, Nevill Hall Hospital, the Royal Gwent Hospital, or Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan," the health board added. "Our staff are doing an incredible job under extreme pressure and we'd like to thank them for their dedication to patients at this time."
Meanwhile new figures have shown that since The Grange started admitting patients in November 2020, ambulances have "lost" more than 2,000 hours every month (bar three) waiting outside A&E to offload their patients. In one month alone, ambulance crews lost 3,155 hours.
Plaid Cymru MS Peredur Owen Griffiths said the delays were a waste of vital resources and were detrimental to patient health and wellbeing. "These delays for patients and ambulance crews are unacceptable," he said. "The ambulance service is stretched by the inability of hospitals like The Grange to admit patients in a timely fashion.
"With ambulances routinely lined up outside The Grange, this inevitably causes lengthy delays in response times for people who need ambulances in emergencies. I feel for the patients, the ambulance crews and indeed the hospital staff who are receiving patients who are often fed up and frustrated after being made to wait in ambulances for inordinate amounts of time.”
Peredur added that deepening cost-of-living crisis is likely to have a huge impact on the NHS. He is calling on Health Minister Eluned Morgan to order an urgent review into this huge waste of resources throughout the health service in Wales.
"She needs to get a grip on the situation and identify solutions so our cherished health service is better prepared for the onslaught that is heading its way this winter," he said.
On Tuesday October 11, Eluned Morgan confirmed that 100 new ambulance clinicians will start work in Wales this winter to help boost staffing levels. "These new frontline staff will help to improve response times and provide better care for people in an emergency," she said.
"We're working hard to reduce ambulance patient handover times at hospitals. The Welsh Ambulance Service Trust is making changes to ambulance staff rosters to improve efficiency, supporting crews to respond to 999 calls. But demand for emergency services continues to grow."
Ms Morgan also announced an extra £2m to improve hospital waiting rooms. "If you’ve ever spent time in a hospital waiting room, you will know how important it is to have somewhere comfortable to sit; access to information and access to food, water and facilities for children," she said.
"This new funding will also be spent on improving Wi-Fi and providing phone charging points so you can keep friends and family in the loop. So, while we’re taking action to cut waiting times, we’re also improving the experience for people who need to visit hospital this winter."
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