Health

Calls to declare health emergency in Wales narrowly rejected

Published

2 years ago

February 14, 2024

THE WELSH PARLIAMENT narrowly rejected calls to declare a health emergency due to the “existential threat” facing the NHS.

With the vote deadlocked at 26-26, Elin Jones – the Senedd’s speaker or Llywydd – used her casting vote against the Plaid Cymru motion in line with convention.

Mabon ap Gwynfor, the shadow health minister, urged the Welsh Government to recognise an unfolding emergency and bring the NHS “back from the brink”.

The Plaid Cymru MS warned that without a drastic course correction, the health service faces a highly uncertain future.

He said: “We have brought forward this debate today with one clear purpose: to try to convince the government we need to recognise the existential threat facing the NHS, which is so valuable to us, by declaring a health emergency in Wales.”

Mr Gwynfor, who represents Dwyfor Meirionnydd, pointed out that waiting lists have hit record highs in July, August, September and October.

‘Limbo’

He told the chamber that there are 582,000 people waiting for treatment – almost a fifth of Wales’ population, who are “stuck in this ever-expanding limbo zone”.

Turning to cancer services, Mr Gwynfor said only around 54% of patients started treatment within the recommended 62 days against a target of 75% which has never been met.

He added that ambulances spent a combined total of 22,000 hours parked outside hospitals waiting to drop off patients in December alone.

Mr Gwynfor quoted Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health minister at Westminster, as saying: “You would have to be living on Mars not to see the NHS is in an emergency.”

He urged Welsh Labour to “come back to earth and open their eyes to what is happening here on their watch”.

Pointing out that the Senedd was the first parliament in the world to declare a climate emergency, he urged Welsh ministers to do the same with health.

‘Collapse’

Russell George, the Conservatives’ shadow minister, raised concerns about a GP crisis, saying the number of patients per GP has risen by a third in less than a decade.

Mr George accused the Welsh Government of failing to sufficiently recruit, train and retain NHS staff more broadly than GPs.

He moved the Conservatives’ amendments, which urged the Welsh Government to develop a workforce plan and set a target to eliminate two-year waits by September.

The Montgomeryshire MS said: “The staffing crisis is so acute that we do need to act now to prevent the collapse of our NHS.

“Those aren’t my words, those are the words straight from the British Medical Association.”

Mr George told MSs that 25,000 people are waiting more than two years for treatment in Wales but in England and Scotland such waits have been virtually eliminated.

‘Miracles’

Huw Irranca-Davies recognised the challenges but said it must be balanced against the miracles being performed daily by the health service.

The Labour backbencher praised the “amazing” treatment he has received from the NHS, saying he has not experienced long delays.

The Ogmore MS, whose wife works in A&E, said: “It isn’t because, as somebody will say ‘well, you’re an MS, your name goes up the list’ – it isn’t that.

“The NHS treats me like any other citizen. It’s seen me, it’s seen me promptly and it’s getting me through the system as fast as it possibly can, and I’m having the best of service.”

Jane Dodds, the Lib Dems’ leader in Wales, focused her contribution on rural communities, calling for a rural GP premium to help with recruitment and retention.

Jane Dodds MS, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats

The Mid and West Wales MS warned that GPs are continuing to say they have had enough.

She raised a Royal College of GPs survey which found that one in four did not expect to be in their current role in five years’ time.

‘Crisis’

Eluned Morgan, Wales’ health minister, said: “I don’t accept there is a health emergency and I’m not really sure what we hope to achieve by declaring a health emergency.”

During the debate on February 7, she told the chamber that the Welsh Government has prioritised the NHS in the face of more than £1bn of real-terms cuts.

She said achieving performance targets has been difficult because demand has gone through the roof, with referrals increasing by 10% last year to 1.5 million.

Baroness Morgan pointed out that almost 300,000 people – about the population of Cardiff – are seen as out-patients every month by the Welsh NHS.

She said more than 2,500 people attend A&E and about 1,100 people call 999 every day.

The minister stressed: “I think the vast majority of these people would say that there is not a crisis. People fall over themselves to tell me how great their treatment has been….

“You’ve got to balance it. We’ve got to balance all of the criticism with the great work that is being done in the NHS.”

Health

Major investment confirmed for GP services in Wales

Published

3 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Government unveils £41m boost, but practices warn pressures remain acute

MORE than £41m in extra funding will go into general practice in Wales this year following a new agreement between the Welsh Government, NHS Wales and GP leaders. Ministers say the deal provides stability at a time of rising demand — but the settlement comes against a backdrop of sustained pressures, recruitment challenges and concerns over patient access.

The package includes a 4% uplift to the General Medical Services (GMS) contract for 2025-26, in line with independent DDRB pay recommendations, and a guaranteed 5.8% recurrent uplift from 2026-27. The Welsh Government says the multi-year commitment will allow practices to plan ahead, modernise systems and strengthen community-based services.

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said the investment showed an “unwavering commitment” to general practice, adding: “The 4% pay uplift ensures fair recognition for GPs and practice staff who work tirelessly to deliver care for communities across our country. Multi-year funding gives practices the confidence to invest in the transformation primary care needs.”

However, the announcement comes at a time when many Welsh practices continue to report severe workforce pressures, rising demand, and longstanding challenges in recruiting new partners. GP numbers have fallen over the past decade, with some practices handing back contracts or operating list closures because of unsustainable workloads. Patient satisfaction with access has also declined, according to the latest Welsh GP Patient Survey.

What the deal includes

The settlement for 2025-26 comprises £37.9m of new investment and £4m in re-invested capacity funding, with the key elements including:

A 1.77% uplift in expenses, intended to help practices manage inflationary pressures in energy, staffing and running costs.
A recurrent £20m stabilisation fund to support practices facing immediate operational pressures and to prepare for wider reform under the incoming Sustainable Farming Scheme model for health.
An increased partnership premium, aimed at retaining experienced GPs and encouraging new partners into a model that some say has become less attractive due to financial and regulatory risk.
A full review of the GMS allocation formula — the first in more than 20 years — which determines how funding is distributed between practices. Some rural and deprived communities have long argued the current system does not reflect the complexity of local health needs.

Wider context

General practice remains the foundation of the NHS, accounting for around 90% of patient contacts, yet it receives a proportionally small share of the overall health budget compared with hospital services. Both the Welsh NHS Confederation and GPC Wales have repeatedly warned that without sustained investment, primary care risks being unable to meet increasing demand from ageing populations and rising chronic illness.

The Welsh Government’s own “community-by-design” programme relies on shifting more care closer to home, reducing pressure on emergency departments and supporting earlier intervention. For that to be achieved, GP leaders say investment needs to be matched with workforce expansion, improved digital systems, and clear strategies to retain experienced clinicians.

Working groups will now be set up to examine access standards, diabetes prevention and new service models.

Mr Miles said he was pleased that GPs would be “actively contributing to creating innovative care models that enhance access, improve outcomes and deliver care locally.”

GP representatives broadly welcomed the deal but have stressed that it is only one step in addressing the scale of challenge across primary care.

Health

Welsh NHS leaders hail GP contract deal as “vital step” in strengthening primary care

Published

16 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Agreement secures investment, digital upgrades and better patient pathways

WELSH NHS leaders have welcomed the successful conclusion of the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract for 2025-26 — and key elements of 2026-27 — describing it as a “positive example of social partnership” at a pivotal moment for general practice.

The deal, negotiated between Welsh Government, the Welsh NHS Confederation and GP representatives, sets out new investment and commitments for frontline primary care, including accelerated digital transformation through the NHS Wales App and strengthened support for population-level health management.

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said the agreement comes at a crucial time for GP services across Wales.

He said: “NHS leaders welcome this agreement as a positive example of social partnership in action. We also welcome the commitment to accelerating digital transformation for patients through the NHS Wales App and the measures agreed in the contract to enable enhanced population health management, such as diabetes management.”

Mr Hughes added that GPs and their multidisciplinary teams remain “the front door to the NHS,” and stressed that investment in general practice is essential if Wales is to treat more people closer to home.

“Evidence shows investing in primary and community care reduces demand on hospitals and emergency care and delivers returns of £14 for every £1 invested. To enable this shift ‘upstream’ from hospital-centred care to integrated services in the community, we must develop care pathways and joint performance measures that address the full needs of individuals,” he said.

Background: Why the GP contract matters

General practice forms the foundation of the Welsh NHS, handling millions of patient contacts every year. According to the latest official figures for 2023-24:

Over 29 million calls were received by GP practices
18 million appointments took place
11 million of these were face-to-face
More than 200,000 home visits were carried out
78 million prescriptions were dispensed
Over 14,000 medication reviews took place

Demand has continued to rise while GP numbers have come under sustained pressure, particularly in rural areas such as Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Powys, where recruitment remains a long-running challenge. Practices in West Wales have repeatedly reported difficulties filling vacancies and increasing reliance on multidisciplinary teams, including nurse practitioners, pharmacists and physiotherapists.

The new GMS contract is therefore seen as a key mechanism for stabilising the sector, supporting digital access, improving chronic disease management, and helping to deliver the Welsh Government’s community-by-design programme, which aims to shift care away from hospitals and into community settings.

A recent survey by the Welsh NHS Confederation found that 74 per cent of NHS leaders support moving resources from acute hospital services into primary care, community-based services, mental health and social care, reflecting growing consensus around early intervention and prevention.

What comes next

The Welsh Government is expected to outline further detail in the coming months on how investment will be delivered at practice level, including support for digital tools, workforce development and shared performance measures with health boards.

With winter pressures mounting and hospitals facing record demand, NHS leaders say the success of the new GP contract will be central to improving access, reducing waiting times and ensuring patients in communities such as Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion can receive timely, local care before conditions escalate.

The Welsh NHS Confederation represents all seven local health boards, the three NHS trusts, Health Education and Improvement Wales, and Digital Health and Care Wales.

Charity

Motorcycle fundraisers transform children’s play area at Glangwili Hospital

Published

2 days ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Long-running 3 Amigos and Dollies group marks 25 years of support

THANKS to outstanding fundraising by the Pembrokeshire-based 3 Amigos and Dollies Motorcycle Group, Hywel Dda Health Charities has funded a major improvement of the outdoor play area at Cilgerran children’s ward in Glangwili Hospital — a project costing more than £15,000.

The 3 Amigos and Dollies have supported Hywel Dda University Health Board’s children’s services for twenty-five years, with their Easter and Christmas toy runs becoming landmark dates in the local calendar, drawing hundreds of bikers and supporters from across west Wales.

The latest funding has delivered a full transformation of the ward’s outdoor space, including a re-sprayed graffiti wall, new toys and play equipment, a summer house, improved storage, and a moveable ramp to make the area more accessible for young patients. Members of the group even volunteered to help paint and refresh the space themselves.

Paula Goode, Service Director for Planned and Specialist Care, said: **“We are so grateful to the 3 Amigos and Dollies Motorcycle Group for their amazing support. Not only have they raised an incredible amount for the ward, but they have given their time to help make the outdoor space as special as possible.

“Outdoor play greatly reduces stress and anxiety for children, and it provides a vital opportunity to meet other young people going through similar experiences. It benefits both their physical and mental wellbeing, so we couldn’t be happier with the transformation.”

Tobi Evans, a volunteer with the fundraising group, said: “Because of the generosity of everyone who donates, we are able to give thousands each year. We are always humbled by how much people give, and it’s thanks to them that we’ve reached our 25th year.”

Katie Hancock, Fundraising Officer for Hywel Dda Health Charities, added: “We can’t thank the 3 Amigos and Dollies enough for their support for Cilgerran ward. You have put a smile on so many faces. Diolch yn fawr!”

Hywel Dda Health Charities funds items, equipment and activities that go beyond core NHS funding, making a meaningful difference to children and families across mid and west Wales.