ALMOST one in four working-age people in Wales are economically inactive, according to the latest labour market figures.

The Welsh Government’s June labour market overview shows the economic inactivity rate in Wales was 24.8% for people aged 16 to 64.

That is down 0.6 percentage points on the previous quarter, but up 0.6 percentage points over the year. The UK rate stood at 21.0%.

Economic inactivity refers to people who are not in work and are not classed as unemployed because they are not actively seeking work or are not available to start.

The figures have prompted criticism from the Welsh Conservatives, who said Wales’ economy was failing to grow strongly enough.

Janet Finch-Saunders MS, Shadow Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, said: “These latest figures show the Welsh economy has continued to flatline with too many people economically inactive.

“We urgently need welfare reform to get people off benefits and into work, where they can pay their taxes and help generate more revenue to invest in better public services.

“The new Plaid Cymru government needs to focus relentlessly on creating the conditions for businesses to start up and expand because this is the only way to grow the Welsh economy and make Wales more prosperous.”

The latest statistics also show Wales’ unemployment rate was 3.8%, up 0.3 percentage points on the quarter but down 0.9 percentage points over the year. The UK unemployment rate was 4.9%.

The Welsh Government said evidence from a range of sources suggested the Welsh labour market was following a similar trend to the UK as a whole.

It also said Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Adam Price was keen to meet the Office for National Statistics to discuss the reliability of labour market data for Wales.

The issue is likely to remain politically significant because economic inactivity affects the size of the workforce, business recruitment, tax receipts and pressure on public services.

Across Wales, inactivity can include people out of work because of long-term illness, caring responsibilities, study, early retirement or other reasons. For rural and coastal areas, including Pembrokeshire, the challenge is often linked to the availability of suitable jobs, transport, skills and seasonal work.

RCN Wales joins doctors, patient groups and charities in call for national reporting before summer recess

NURSING leaders, doctors, patient groups and charities have called on the Welsh Government to take urgent action to end corridor care in Welsh hospitals.

A joint letter signed by Age Cymru, BMA Cymru Wales, Carers Wales, Llais, Marie Curie Cymru, Royal College of Nursing Wales, Royal College of Emergency Medicine Wales, Royal College of Pharmacy and Royal College of Physicians sets out a series of steps ministers are being urged to take immediately.

The organisations want the Welsh Government to publish a formal definition of corridor care, introduce national reporting, monitor the issue as a patient safety indicator, and require health boards to produce local plans focused on the most vulnerable patients.

They have also called for a coordinated approach across health and social care, warning that the problem cannot be tackled properly unless it is measured consistently across Wales.

The groups want a public commitment from the Welsh Government before the Senedd’s final sitting day before the summer recess on July 17.

‘Unsafe and unacceptable’

Corridor care refers to patients being assessed, treated or cared for in inappropriate areas such as corridors, waiting rooms, ambulance bays or other spaces not designed for clinical care.

Health bodies have repeatedly warned that the practice can put patients at risk, reduce privacy and dignity, and leave staff unable to provide the level of care they know patients need.

RCN Wales Executive Director Nicola Williams said corridor care was still happening every day across most hospitals in Wales.

She said: “Earlier this month, we welcomed the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care’s determination to address corridor care following England’s first publication of corridor care statistics.

“I have also been encouraged by the verbal commitments I have received from Welsh Government officials that echo our priorities of a clear, consistent definition of corridor care across Wales, and the development of a data set for use across NHS Wales for public reporting.

“Corridor care continues to happen every day across most hospitals in Wales, putting patients’ wellbeing and lives at risk and affecting the morale of nursing staff who cannot give the care that patients deserve.

“We must be able to quantify this problem if we are to eliminate it.”

Ms Williams added that the RCN must be involved in efforts to eradicate corridor care because nurses are “at the forefront of this crisis and a vital part of the solution.”

Wales behind England

The call comes after NHS England began publishing national corridor care data, giving a clearer picture of how often patients are being treated in inappropriate settings.

In Wales, there is still no formal national definition of corridor care and no routine public reporting.

RCN Wales has argued that without consistent data by health board, it is impossible to know the true scale of the problem, identify trends or hold the system properly accountable.

The issue has been raised repeatedly by nursing and medical bodies in recent months. In January, RCN Wales published a briefing calling for care delivered to a patient in a chair for more than 24 hours to be treated as a “never event.”

The RCN and BMA Cymru Wales have also called for reductions in hospital beds to be paused, for capacity to be reviewed nationally, and for greater investment in community and social care so patients who are medically fit to leave hospital can be discharged safely.

Healthcare Inspectorate Wales has also warned that corridor care should not become normalised, saying care in non-clinical spaces can compromise patient safety, dignity and the quality of care.

West Wales concerns

The issue is particularly relevant in west Wales, where hospital capacity, ambulance handover delays and the future of local services remain politically sensitive.

Hywel Dda University Health Board has faced repeated criticism over pressures at Withybush, Glangwili, Bronglais and Prince Philip hospitals, with patients in rural areas often facing long journeys for emergency treatment.

The call from nursing and medical bodies comes days after the Senedd backed a motion calling on the Welsh Government to rule out hospital closures and service downgrades during the current Senedd term, with patient safety prioritised.

That debate was dominated by concerns over Withybush Hospital, where changes to emergency general surgery mean some patients who need emergency operations will be transferred to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.

Campaigners argue that distance is itself a patient safety issue in rural Wales, particularly when emergency departments and ambulance services are already under pressure.

Wider NHS pressure

Corridor care is widely seen as a symptom of wider problems across the NHS, including delayed discharges, lack of social care capacity, pressure on emergency departments, workforce shortages and too few available beds.

Doctors and nurses say patients can end up stuck in emergency departments because hospital wards are full, while patients on wards cannot leave because care packages or community support are not available.

The result is a system where pressure builds at the hospital front door, leading to long waits, ambulance queues and patients being cared for in unsuitable spaces.

The Welsh Government has previously said it recognises the seriousness of the issue and is committed to improving urgent and emergency care.

But professional bodies say recognition is no longer enough and that Wales now needs clear national data, local health board plans and public accountability.

The joint letter places fresh pressure on ministers to act before the Senedd breaks for summer.

For patients and staff, the message from Wales’ leading health organisations is blunt: corridor care cannot be ended until Wales properly defines it, measures it and treats it as a major patient safety issue.

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an allegation of rape at a Young Farmers Club rally in Builth Wells.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the incident was reported to have taken place at Wernhalog Farm on Saturday, June 13.

Officers said it happened in the portaloo area sometime between 11:00pm and 11:45pm.

Anyone who witnessed anything, or who has information which could help the investigation, is asked to contact police.

Reports can be made online through the Dyfed-Powys Police website, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.

Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through the Crimestoppers website.

Quote reference: 26*472649.