Health

Record A&E waits spark fresh alarm over Welsh emergency care

Published

5 months ago

November 22, 2025

MORE than 10,000 patients spent over 12 hours in major Welsh A&Es in October, as doctors warn system is “in a spiral” and Pembrokeshire families feel the impact

WALES has recorded its worst October on record for A&E waits, with new figures showing 10,493 people waited more than 12 hours in major emergency departments before being admitted, discharged or transferred.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) described the latest StatsWales data as “dismaying” and said the figures show politicians are still not listening to “alarm bells ringing from every ED in the country”.

For patients in Pembrokeshire, the numbers sit against a backdrop of continuing pressure at Withybush Hospital and across Hywel Dda University Health Board, which remains under enhanced Welsh Government “targeted intervention” and level-4 escalation for urgent and emergency care – one step below special measures.

Worst October on record

StatsWales’ October 2025 data for major Welsh emergency departments show:

10,493 patients waited 12 hours or more – roughly one in seven people attending a major ED.
Around one in four (24.8%) waited at least 8 hours.
Only 53.9% were admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours – far short of the 95% target.
1,493 bed days were lost because medically fit patients could not be discharged, only a small improvement on last year.

RCEM Wales vice-president Dr Rob Perry said another worst-ever month heading into winter was “dismaying” and warned that thousands of patients were left on trolleys or chairs “for hours on end in conditions we know put them at risk of further harm”.

He said emergency staff were “working themselves to the bone” to keep people safe, but minor improvements since September were just “a drop in the ocean” compared to what is needed to escape the “spiral” of crowding and delay.

Hywel Dda still under targeted intervention

Hywel Dda University Health Board – which runs Withybush, Glangwili, Prince Philip and Bronglais hospitals – is one of several Welsh boards in escalation for urgent and emergency care performance. It is currently at level 4 for finance, strategy and planning, urgent and emergency care outcomes, and a number of “fragile” services.

Board papers going to Hywel Dda’s November 2025 meeting show:

Twelve-hour A&E waits across the health board in October stood at 8.5% of attendances – slightly better than the board’s own plan trajectory of 9.2%, but still above the 7% level required for de-escalation.
Ambulance handovers taking more than an hour fell to 528 in October, better than the internal plan (803) and below the external de-escalation threshold (680) – but discharge delays remain “materially above trajectory”, continuing to block beds and choke the system.

The board’s Annual Plan for 2025-26 commits to reducing long waits and ambulance delays as part of a wider push to “shift left” – moving more care into community and primary-care settings and away from full-blown hospital admission wherever safe.

In its escalation documents with Welsh Government, Hywel Dda has also been told to improve how it directs people to the right service, with a specific requirement to “ensure that patients are clear where they can and should access support, signposting away from emergency services.”

Pembrokeshire families already seeing the impact

The latest national A&E figures land in the same week that a Pembrokeshire inquest again highlighted the human cost of delays and mis-triaged emergency calls.

As The Herald reported, Pembrokeshire coroner Mark Layton has now heard final evidence in the death of 40-year-old Llanteg mother-of-two, Charlotte Burston, who fell ill with chest pain on Christmas Day 2023. Her teenage daughter called 999 twice but was told an ambulance could take more than an hour; a relative set off to drive her towards Withybush instead.

Charlotte suffered a heart attack at Robeston Wathen and later died at Morriston Hospital on New Year’s Eve. The inquest heard that an Advanced Paramedic Practitioner based in Haverfordwest, around half an hour away, was on duty and clinically appropriate for the symptoms, but was not dispatched.

Mr Layton was told that Charlotte “may have survived” if the Welsh Ambulance Service had allocated the correct clinical resource.

For families in Pembrokeshire, that finding, alongside Wales-wide A&E data showing record 12-hour waits, will fuel ongoing questions about whether Hywel Dda and national leaders are moving fast enough to fix the front door of the NHS before this winter bites.

What patients are being told to do instead of A&E

Part of Hywel Dda’s escalation action plan is about changing how people access help in the first place, and making clearer when A&E is – and isn’t – the right option.

Current advice from the health board and local partners in Pembrokeshire is:

For life-threatening emergencies – such as loss of consciousness, suspected stroke, severe breathing difficulties, chest pain that could be a heart attack, severe bleeding, or serious injuries and fractures – dial 999 or go to the Emergency Department at Withybush General Hospital.
For urgent problems that cannot wait for a routine GP appointment but are not 999 emergencies, residents are told to phone NHS 111 Wales. This includes Hywel Dda’s GP out-of-hours service and, via option 2, a 24/7 mental-health line staffed by specialist professionals.
For minor injuries – such as sprains, cuts, minor burns, simple fractures and some minor illnesses – patients can use nurse-led Minor Injury Units. In Pembrokeshire that includes services linked to Withybush and Tenby, usually open 8am to 8pm, with minor-injury care overnight provided through the main Emergency Department at Withybush.
For routine issues like repeat prescriptions, ongoing illnesses or contraception, people are expected to see their GP or practice nurse.
For self-care and common conditions like coughs, colds and sore throats, pharmacies and community support are promoted as the first port of call.

Pembrokeshire County Council echoes the “choose well” message, warning that using A&E for non-emergencies can delay treatment for those in genuine life-threatening situations and leave other patients waiting longer on trolleys and in corridors.

Winter fears

RCEM Wales has welcomed recent Welsh Government funding for social care but says it will take “sustained support” to fix hospital flow and delayed discharges – the back-door pressures that sit behind front-door A&E queues.

Dr Perry said emergency medicine staff would “step up” again this winter, but warned that without stronger action on bed capacity, social care and realistic targets, the system will keep relying on extraordinary efforts from exhausted staff – and patients will continue to bear the risk.

For Pembrokeshire, where families like Charlotte Burston’s are still living with the consequences of delayed emergency care, today’s record October figures will only intensify scrutiny of Hywel Dda’s performance – and whether its plans to reduce 12-hour waits at Withybush and other sites are being delivered fast enough.

Health

Turkish dental clinic to hold Haverfordwest meet-up

Published

2 days ago

April 29, 2026

Staff Writer

DENTISTS FROM ANTALYA TO VISIT COUNTY TOWN

A TURKISH dental clinic is running a dental meet-up in Haverfordwest this weekend as part of a promotional visit to Wales.

Unique Smile Turkey, which has a permanent office in Wales in Swansea, says its top dentists will be coming to Haverfordwest on Sunday (May 3).

The event is being advertised as a “Dental Meet-Up” and is scheduled to run from 10:00am to 6:00pm at the Mariners Hotel.

The visit features three clinicians: Assoc Prof Dr Ummuhan Tozoglu, described as a specialist in oral diagnosis, radiology and dental planning; Professor Dr Sinan Tozoglu, described as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and implantologist; and Professor Dr Ismet Duran, described as a periodontologist and implantologist.

The team have between twenty and 35 years of experience in their respective fields.

A contact number has also been provided for enquiries: +90 505 678 90 90.

The visit comes amid continuing interest in dental tourism, with many people in the UK looking overseas for cosmetic dentistry, implants and other private dental treatment.

Turkey has become one of the most popular destinations for such treatment, although patients are generally urged to make careful checks before committing to any procedure abroad, including aftercare arrangements, qualifications, insurance, treatment plans and what support would be available if complications arise after returning home.

Health

Welsh public backs urgent action on dementia ahead of Senedd elections

Published

4 days ago

April 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Calls grow for diagnosis, care and support to become national priority

NEW figures reveal overwhelming public demand for dementia to be placed at the top of Wales’ political agenda, with voters urging action on diagnosis, treatment and support ahead of the Senedd elections.

Research by Alzheimer’s Society Cymru shows that 83% of people in Wales want dementia made a healthcare priority, while 69% believe it is currently overlooked and underfunded.

More than a thousand adults were surveyed, with the findings highlighting growing concern over diagnosis rates and access to care. Wales continues to record some of the lowest dementia diagnosis rates in the UK, leaving thousands of families without clarity or support.

Around 51,000 people are currently living with dementia in Wales, a figure expected to rise to 70,000 by 2040. Despite this, only 57% of people have received a formal diagnosis, with rates falling as low as 48% in rural areas such as Powys.

Improving diagnosis remains a key concern, with 91% of those surveyed saying access to timely diagnosis must improve, and 87% backing increased investment in diagnostic services. However, respondents also stressed that diagnosis alone is not enough, with 91% saying people with dementia must receive better support, including help for unpaid carers.

Ceri Parry, from Cardiff, said she was forced to retire early from her role as a headteacher at the age of 55 due to a lack of support for her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020.

She said: “I fully support improving early and accurate diagnosis, but this must also come with improved support and care for families afterwards. There’s five years between my relatives’ diagnoses and nothing changed. On both occasions we left with a leaflet and the unknown.

“The wait for improved diagnosis, treatment and support needs to end. Dementia must be a top priority for the next Welsh Government, for families living with it now and for those who will face it in the future.

“We also found there was no diagnosis assessment available in the Welsh language. That’s a fundamental issue if a diagnosis is to be accurate and safe for people who speak Welsh as their first language. Ignoring someone’s identity is ignoring the person.”

The survey also found that visible action would be key to restoring public confidence, with 72% calling for improved dementia services, 64% backing more funding for research, and 63% wanting better access to treatments.

Gemma Roberts, National Influencing Manager at Alzheimer’s Society Cymru, said: “Dementia is Wales’s biggest killer and one of the greatest health and social care challenges we face.

“Hope is on the horizon with new treatments and faster, more accurate diagnosis, but the system is not keeping pace. Without urgent transformation, people in Wales risk missing out.

“We are at a turning point. The next Welsh Government must deliver a bold new dementia strategy that transforms diagnosis and ensures access to quality care, treatments and support.”

Health

Dentists warn next Welsh Government must act to save NHS dentistry

Published

1 week ago

April 24, 2026

Tom Sinclair

DENTISTS have warned that NHS dentistry in Wales is at a “make or break” point, with access to treatment now ranking as one of the biggest local concerns for voters ahead of the Senedd election.

The British Dental Association said new polling by YouGov showed local dentistry services were now a top doorstep issue in Wales, with 30% of adults naming it as one of the most important issues in their local area.

That places dentistry ahead of crime and education, both on 14%, and above job opportunities, which were cited by 27% of respondents.

The poll also found that 79% of people in Wales believe the Welsh Government should be doing more to improve NHS dentistry, while only 11% think ministers are doing all they reasonably can.

According to the BDA, unmet need for NHS dentistry now stands at around a third of the adult population in Wales. One in five people said they had tried but failed to get an NHS dental appointment in the past two years, while a further 13% said they had not tried because they assumed they would be unable to secure one.

The professional body said the figures suggest Wales may now be the worst place in Britain to be an NHS dental patient.

The warning comes after controversial dental reforms were introduced in Wales on April 1. The BDA says the changes were forced through without proper testing and have already led some practices to return NHS contracts or reduce their NHS commitment.

It is calling for a “safety net” for struggling practices, including a pause on implementation until 2027 while further improvements are worked up.

The association is also calling for a break from what it describes as chronic underfunding, better protection for vulnerable patients, and a change of tone from the next Welsh Government.

Russell Gidney, Chair of the BDA’s Welsh General Dental Practice Committee, said: “NHS dentistry in Wales was already in crisis, and without decisive action things are set to go from bad to worse.

“Untested reforms have already seen many dentists walk away from the NHS. Whoever forms the next government will need a plan to guarantee the future of this service.

“For voters facing access and cost of living crises dentistry matters. Political choices mean it is now a real concern on the doorstep – polling ahead of crime, education and even jobs as a top-flight issue facing Wales.

“Our message to all candidates and all parties is very clear: dentistry is on the ballot paper in this election. And the public will measure how you choose to respond.

“This is a service millions of voters depend on. Meaningful action will be rewarded. Complacency will be punished.”

The Welsh Government has defended its reforms, saying the new contract is designed to “make NHS dentistry more accessible, fairer and sustainable,” with a stronger focus on prevention and prioritising patients based on clinical need.

The YouGov survey of 1,092 Welsh adults was carried out between February 2 and February 9, 2026.