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Welsh businesses ‘wasteful’ with ineffective workplace health initiatives

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NEW poll finds 73% adults in Wales think occupational health is important but just 12% believe some current workplace health & wellbeing services important

Ill health cost £10.6 billion to UK businesses in 2018-19, with 1.7 million suffering work-related health conditions in 2020-21

Business leaders urged to be more strategic and seek occupational health expertise

Businesses must urgently shift away from a reactive “DIY” culture when it comes to workplace health and seek expert occupational health guidance to avoid wasting time and resources, according to a new survey.

A YouGov survey launched during Occupational Health Awareness Week (19-24 June 2022) found only a fraction of adults in Wales believe the health and wellness measures many businesses currently choose for employees are important, which experts believe is likely due to employers mismatching health and wellbeing services to employee needs and not sourcing relevant or appropriate service providers.

73% of survey respondents said that occupational health is important and 73% also reported that they do or would find occupational health services in the workplace useful, but only a fraction thought that specific interventions were important. Access to health and wellbeing advice (13%) and counselling services (11%) rated low in importance for employee health among those surveyed, suggesting that businesses urgently need professional occupational health guidance to better meet employee needs and to source specialist service providers.

Throughout the UK, including Wales, companies often source their own health and wellbeing programmes without an occupational health strategy or the input of an occupational health practitioner. In April, CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work report found that 87% of organisations offer employee health and wellbeing services but only 50% have a strategy, with 46% declaring that they do not have a formal plan and act on an ad-hoc basis.

Launching the YouGov survey, experts at the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) and Commercial Occupational Health Providers Association (COHPA) warned that companies who provide occupational health programmes without professional advice may be wasting time and resources.

Dr Jayne Moore, President, Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) said:

“From reducing absences to improving business performance, we have clear evidence that occupational health services make a significant difference. Looking at the survey results, it’s clear that employers are not making the most of occupational health expertise and are failing to provide what employees actually want and need.

“A reactive DIY approach to occupational health, which we know is prevalent among businesses in the UK, is wasteful and ineffective. Companies of all sizes should use professional occupational health guidance to develop a clear workplace health strategy in the boardroom and steer how they invest in employee health services.”

According to HSE statistics from 2020-21, 1.7 million workers were suffering from new or long-standing work-related health conditions, with 800,000 of these being work-related mental health issues and 500,000 being musculoskeletal disorders.

Pre-Covid-19 (2018-19) HSE statistics showed that workplace-related illnesses cost £10.6 billion to the UK, while injury cost £5.6 billion in the same period. In April 2022, Deloitte found that poor mental health costs UK employers up to £56 billion a year.

Alan Ballard, Chair of the Commercial Occupational Health Providers Association (COHPA) said:

“From mental health to menopause, occupational health doctors and nurses have a wealth of experience and specialist knowledge that is currently underutilised by much of the private sector.

“Many business leaders feel like they are fire-fighting health issues as they arise, so bringing in an occupational health expert to assist with a more strategic, proactive approach will take that constant pressure out of their hands.

“Companies that take on a bespoke health and wellbeing strategy in collaboration with an occupational health provider will see improved employee health and a better bottom line.”

The YouGov survey also demonstrated that employees want workplace health to be led from the top. Key factors for employee health were work-life balance (71%), good management and leadership (62%), and good workplace culture (55%).

Lord David Blunkett, Patron of the Society of Occupational Medicine, remarked:

“It is encouraging that an increasing number of companies are investing in workplace health and wellbeing services, but employers need to ensure that their occupational health offering is effective and meaningful.

“By seeking professional guidance from an occupational health expert, business leaders can adopt a more strategic and impactful approach to improving employee health, and maintain reliability and ability to stay in the job.”

Health

Nursing applications rise but concerns remain over long-term decline

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RCN Wales calls for urgent action as Cardiff University faces cuts

THE NuMBER of applicants for nursing courses in Wales has risen by 14% this year, but the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warns that the longer-term decline remains a major concern.

Figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show applications for 2025 nursing courses have increased from 3,050 to 3,480. However, since 2021, applications have fallen by 15%, down from 4,090.

Helen Whyley, Executive Director of RCN Wales, welcomed the rise but warned that it does not reverse years of declining interest in the profession.

“This increase in applications is a positive step, but we remain deeply concerned about the long-term decline in nursing applicants in Wales,” she said. “The health care system is already under immense pressure, and without sustained investment in nursing education, we risk deepening the workforce crisis.”

Cardiff University nursing cuts ‘alarming’

Ms Whyley also criticised Cardiff University’s proposed closure of its School of Nursing, warning that it would have serious consequences for Wales’ health services.

“RCN Wales is alarmed by Cardiff University’s current proposals,” she said. “Any reduction in nursing education provision would have significant implications for the future workforce and the ability to meet health care needs across Wales. We urge Cardiff University and policymakers to prioritise investment in nursing education and ensure that opportunities for aspiring nurses are expanded rather than reduced.”

Need for more nursing education places

Despite steady commissioning figures for nurse education places in Wales, RCN Wales argues that numbers must be increased to match growing demand.

Ms Whyley added: “RCN Wales will continue to advocate for sustained investment in nursing education, ensuring that Wales has a well-supported, well-educated nursing workforce now and in the future. The RCN urges the Welsh government, universities, and health leaders to work together to secure the long-term sustainability of nursing education and protect the future of the profession.”

With thousands of nursing vacancies still unfilled across Wales, the RCN is calling for urgent action to ensure the next generation of nurses can be trained and supported in their careers.

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Health

Emergency care failing in Wales, warns damming report

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EMERGENCY healthcare in Wales is failing too many people, according to a stark new report by Llais, the statutory body representing the public’s voice in Welsh health and social care. The report, based on feedback from over 700 people, calls for urgent action, warning that the state of emergency services has reached a crisis point.

Llais’ study, conducted over a five-week period, included visits to 42 emergency departments, minor injury units, and medical assessment units across Wales. The findings highlight severe delays, overcrowding, and a system struggling to meet even basic expectations.

Patients forced to find their own way to hospital

One of the most alarming takeaways from the report is the frequency of ambulance delays. Many patients reported waiting for up to 12 hours for emergency transport, forcing them to either drive themselves or rely on friends and family, despite being seriously unwell. Some even risked worsening their condition by taking taxis or public transport.

A patient at Morriston Hospital’s emergency department described the situation as dire: “I drove because the ambulance ETA was 7-8 hours, but I had severe chest pain and couldn’t wait that long.”

Others recounted horror stories of being sent to the wrong hospitals due to poor communication, leaving them stranded and paying exorbitant taxi fares to correct the mistake. One patient, initially taken to Glangwili Hospital despite their complex spinal history, had to pay £130 for a taxi back to Swansea, where they should have been taken in the first place.

Unbearable waiting times and overcrowding

The report details widespread reports of excessive waiting times, with many patients enduring 8 to 24 hours before receiving care. In some cases, waits exceeded 26 hours. Overcrowding is commonplace, with many patients left waiting in corridors, unable to access beds or even chairs.

One individual at Royal Glamorgan Hospital A&E said: “I’ve been waiting 12 hours and only had triage and a water sample. I’m in a corridor that’s meant to be for paediatrics – it’s uncomfortable and degrading.”

Families of vulnerable patients described feeling abandoned, with little communication from staff about their loved ones’ condition. One woman at Bronglais General Hospital recounted her frustration: “We are not too sure what is going on. We spoke to a nurse just over an hour ago. We are still waiting. We’ve been given no explanation of what the treatment is to be.”

Critical incidents declared

The Llais report warns that the pressures on Welsh emergency services are not temporary, but systemic. Since the study was conducted, ‘business critical incidents’ have been declared by both the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Other health boards, including Swansea Bay and Cwm Taf Morgannwg, have issued urgent warnings about overwhelming demand.

Calls for immediate action

Llais Chief Executive Alyson Thomas has called for immediate action, stating: “The voices we’ve heard paint a stark picture of a system under immense pressure. While we commend the dedication of healthcare staff, they are working in a system that is not giving them or the people they care for the support they need.”

The report calls for urgent measures, including:

  • Faster ambulance response times
  • Better coordination between emergency services and primary care
  • Increased staffing and resource allocation
  • Improved dignity and care for patients waiting in corridors
  • Greater transparency and accountability from NHS Wales and the Welsh Government

Welsh Conservative response: “Labour’s mismanagement to blame”

James Evans MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, has sharply criticised the Welsh Labour Government’s handling of emergency care.

“Emergency care is losing the very essence of its definition. Responses are too slow, and far too many people are suffering as a result of Labour’s mismanagement,” Evans stated.

He dismissed the idea that ‘winter pressures’ could explain the ongoing crisis, arguing that the current state of emergency care has become an unacceptable ‘new normal.’

“No one should be waiting over 12 hours in A&E, certainly not the many thousands we are seeing every month. The Welsh Labour Government seems completely unwilling to get to grips with this situation. Only the Welsh Conservatives stand ready to replace them so that we can fix Wales.”

Calls for reform

Keir Starmer, Prime Minister, acknowledged the crisis, stating: “The NHS in Wales is in urgent need of reform. Investment and reform need to go together… On occasions, using the private sector to get down waiting lists? Yes, that’s been going on a long time. We will do that to get waiting lists down.”

In a Senedd debate in January 2025, concerns were raised that waiting lists have hit record highs after nine months of continuous increases, forcing many patients to pay for private healthcare after years of waiting.

First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, stated: “Reducing waiting times must be our key objective… It’s about rolling up our sleeves and collaborating to deliver the investment and reform desperately needed for healthcare in Wales.”

A Welsh Labour Government statement reaffirmed their commitment to the NHS: “Your Welsh Labour Government will always support the NHS – and will always support the NHS to change and modernise. That means continuing to invest in the NHS… Reforms have also focused on providing more care and NHS services out of hospital and in local communities.”

A system at breaking point

With emergency care in Wales under “extreme and unsustainable pressure,” as described by Llais Chair Professor Medwin Hughes, many patients and staff feel abandoned in a system that is failing them.

“The dignity of patients is not even being considered anymore. The system is chaotically inefficient and in desperate need of a review,” one patient at Glan Clwyd Hospital remarked.

Llais has vowed to keep pushing for reform, but with patient experiences growing increasingly dire, the question remains: how much longer can Wales’ emergency healthcare system hold on before it completely collapses?

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Health

Kilgetty dispensary to close temporarily due to staff sickness

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PATIENTS who rely on Kilgetty Dispensary for their medication are being urged to collect prescriptions before the facility temporarily shuts down due to a high level of staff sickness.

Saundersfoot Medical Centre, which operates the dispensary, has announced that the closure will take effect from Monday, February 17, 2025.

A spokesperson for the medical centre said: “We have taken the difficult decision to close the Kilgetty Dispensary temporarily from Monday, February 17, due to a high level of sickness among staff.”

Patients are being advised to collect their medication before 1:00pm on Friday, February 14, 2025, to avoid disruption. Any uncollected prescriptions will be transferred to Saundersfoot Surgery, where they will be available for collection between 8:00am and 1:00pm, Monday to Friday.

The medical centre has assured patients that updates will be provided as soon as possible regarding the reopening of the dispensary.

Residents who rely on Kilgetty Dispensary are encouraged to make alternative arrangements and ensure they have sufficient medication before the closure takes effect.

For further information, patients can contact Saundersfoot Medical Centre on 01834 815115.

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