Health

Concerns over standards at A&E following report highlighting ‘significant challenges’

Published

3 years ago

March 26, 2023

OVERCROWDING and patients sleeping on floor at a west Wales A&E were some of the issues raised by a report raising serious concerns, but also saying that there had been some improvements made to a hospital’s standards of care.

The health board involved, Hywel Dda, now says it has come up with a plan to address the issues raised by a report published by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) who carried out an inspection of the emergency department at Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen, in December.

Despite the best efforts of staff, the independent body said patients did not always receive consistently safe care.

Hywel Dda health board said it recognised “significant challenges” within the department.

Although patients and carers were said to be “generally satisfied with the service”, HIW identified several issues with the service provided at the department.

The report highlighting concerns at Glangwili came out at the same time that figures were released saying that waiting times at Welsh A&E departments had fallen slightly. Responding to those Emergency Department performance figures for February 2023 for Wales, Dr Suresh Pillai, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Wales, said: “We welcome the improvement in Emergency Department performance shown in February’s data. The reduction in patients facing four-, eight- and 12-hour waits is a testament to the hard and skilled work of Emergency Medicine staff who continue to tackle the crisis in Emergency Care.

“While we welcome this improvement, the situation remains serious. Exit block – where patients cannot be admitted from the Emergency Department to a bed because out of the limited bed base, many are taken up by patients who are unable to be discharged in a timely way causing a ‘traffic jam’ in the system – remains a significant issue in Emergency Departments in Wales. On the ground we continue to face severe problems around flow throughout our hospitals and delays to patient care.

“We must see faster and more tangible action around discharging patients and social care.

“We are pleased to have met with the Health Minister, Eluned Morgan MS. We recognise that there is the political will to engage with the issues facing Emergency Care. The Welsh Government is focused on delivering the six-goal programme.

“As part of this they are appointing Clinical Leads for each of the Six Goals with some overlap instead of the current model of one for all Unscheduled Care. We look forward to engaging with these Leads and would be pleased to continue engaging with the Health Minister and the Welsh Government and have further such meetings.

“There is an ongoing retention and recruitment crisis in Emergency Medicine in Wales. Our workforce census, published earlier this year, made this clear. Not only are junior doctors’ continuing to be stretched, but difficulties in recruiting persist. It is vital that both retention and recruitment in Emergency Medicine is recognised and made a priority by the Welsh government, otherwise Emergency Care will remain in crisis to the detriment of patients and existing staff.”

The report highlighted the following areas where the service is doing well or actions are already in place, including:

pressure damage care and prevention;
assessing and monitoring patients waiting in ambulances to maintain patient safety;
availability of food and fluids;
triage and supervision of areas by staff;
easy navigation of patient records, handwritten entries were legible and logically set out.

But the report, by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW), found that patients at an accident and emergency department in Wales were not consistently receiving safe care.

The HIW carried out three unannounced inspections at Glangwili General Hospital in Carmarthen in December 2022 and identified several areas requiring immediate action by the health board.

The report found that overcrowding, a lack of toilet and washing facilities, and patients waiting in non-designated areas of the unit were having a negative impact on patients’ privacy, dignity, and infection prevention and control procedures. Delays in children being seen were also identified in the Paediatric Care and Assessment Unit (PACU).

Although patients and carers were generally satisfied with the services they received, frustration was expressed around waiting times and the lack of updates on patients’ care and treatment.

The health board has produced a comprehensive plan to improve the emergency department.

Andrew Carruthers, of Hywel Dda health board, said: “While the report states that generally patients and carers were satisfied with the service they had received at the emergency department at Glangwili Hospital, we do, however, recognise that there are significant challenges within the department.

“We also recognise the regrettable impact these have on our patients and their experience of using our services.

“We wish to reassure people that we are focusing on our improvement plan to address the recommendations of the report, and to provide ongoing assurances for our communities of the quality of the services we have to offer and provide.”

Health

Same Day Emergency Care unit at Glangwili to reopen after £2m refurbishment

Published

51 minutes ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE SDEC unit at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen will reopen to patients and staff on Monday (Mar 30) following a major £2m refurbishment.

The upgrade, funded by the Welsh Government, has delivered additional consultation rooms, a redesigned reception area, and improved facilities aimed at enhancing the experience for both patients and staff.

Health board chiefs say the revamped unit is expected to ease pressure on the hospital’s Emergency Department and forms part of wider efforts to improve urgent care services across Hywel Dda University Health Board sites, including the Minor Injury Unit at Prince Philip Hospital.

Keith Jones, Director of Operational Planning and Performance at Hywel Dda, said: “We are very grateful to the Welsh Government for the £2.096 million investment, which has allowed us to increase capacity within the SDEC unit at Glangwili.

“We expect these improvements will help reduce pressure on the Emergency Department and enable our teams to deliver a smoother, faster experience for patients.”

During the works, several services were temporarily relocated to Y Lolfa, formerly Padarn Ward. These will now return to the SDEC building, including the Discharge Lounge, Medical Day Unit and the Primary Care Out of Hours Service.

Cancer support services, including the Cancer Information and Support Service (CISS) and Cancer Psychological Support Service (CaPS), will also move back to the unit.

Access routes for services that remained at the Priory Day Hospital during the refurbishment – including podiatry, neuro-rehabilitation and occupational therapy – will return to normal.

Patients are advised to follow on-site signage or ask staff for directions. The health board said appointment letters will include updated information, but urged patients to double-check details and contact departments directly if unsure.

Mr Jones added: “I would like to thank staff, patients and visitors for their patience during these works.”

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles said the investment would deliver “real improvements” for patients and staff.

He added: “This is part of our ongoing commitment to improving hospital facilities across Wales, ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, as quickly as possible.”

Health

Cervical cancer prevention drive stepped up across Wales

Published

3 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Home testing and vaccine catch-up plan launched as uptake falls after pandemic

PLANS to boost cervical cancer prevention across Wales have been set out by ministers, amid concerns that HPV vaccination rates have fallen since the pandemic.

In a written statement issued on Wednesday (Mar 25), Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said urgent work is underway to improve uptake of both vaccination and screening, which are key to preventing the disease.

The Welsh Government confirmed that before COVID-19, HPV vaccine uptake was close to the World Health Organisation’s 90% target — but levels have since dropped.

Health board vaccination teams have delivered more than 1,400 additional HPV vaccinations during 2025 as part of targeted efforts, particularly focusing on schools where uptake is lowest. Further catch-up programmes are planned over the next 12 months.

Public Health Wales has also launched surveys aimed at understanding why some young people and parents are not attending vaccination appointments, alongside a wider communications campaign highlighting the benefits of the vaccine.

Cervical screening, which detects high-risk strains of HPV, remains a key part of prevention efforts. However, participation varies across different groups.

A new initiative will see at-home cervical screening kits introduced later this year, aimed at women who rarely or never attend appointments. The move is designed to remove barriers to screening and improve access.

Latest figures show a gradual decline in cervical cancer cases and deaths in Wales. The number of cases has fallen from an average of 164 per year in the early 2000s to 149 in recent years, while annual deaths have dropped from 61 to 54.

Despite this progress, ministers say more must be done to improve early detection and treatment.

Cervical cancer is currently grouped within wider gynaecological cancers for NHS treatment targets, but plans are in place to report more detailed data by April 2027 to better track treatment times.

Jeremy Miles urged those eligible to take up both vaccination and screening offers, adding that improving access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment would be key to reducing cancer rates further in the years ahead.

Health

Clash over Withybush Hospital services as Paul Davies challenges First Minister

Published

5 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A HEATED exchange in the Senedd has laid bare growing tensions over the future of hospital services in west Wales.

During the final First Minister’s Questions session, Paul Davies MS challenged First Minister Eluned Morgan to intervene and stop Hywel Dda University Health Board from removing services from local hospitals.

Mr Davies told the Senedd: “Residents across west Wales are understandably upset and angry at these decisions to strip services from their local hospitals.

“They want the Welsh Government to stand up for them and stop the health board from removing those vital services.”

He said he had repeatedly called on ministers to act, adding: “I have asked you time and time again to work with me and stand up for the people of west Wales… will you now intervene and stop the health board removing services from west Wales, yes or no?”

First Minister rejects intervention

In response, the First Minister acknowledged public concern but refused to commit to direct intervention.

Eluned Morgan said: “I recognise that communities are very upset about the situation. I understand that people are committed to their local services.

“These services are deeply valued and they’ve got to remain safe. They’ve got to be sustainable. They’ve got to be deliverable.”

She stressed that decisions must be based on clinical advice, adding: “This has got to be a decision that is clinically led and really thinks about the objectives that it’s trying to achieve to get people better.”

Accusations of ‘spin’

The First Minister also accused Mr Davies of misrepresenting proposals around Withybush Hospital.

She said: “What about the spin that you put up… to say that emergency departments in Withybush were actually going to close?”

She pointed to planned improvements, including expanded orthopaedics, increased cancer care, seven-day diagnostics, and enhanced same-day emergency care.

“You fail to mention this every time you talk, Paul,” she added.

Ms Morgan then challenged the Conservative MS directly, asking: “Do you agree that we should have a brand new hospital in west Wales? Yes or no?”

Key election issue

The exchange underlines how healthcare in west Wales — and particularly the future of services at Withybush Hospital — is becoming a key battleground ahead of the upcoming Senedd election.

Concerns over service changes, travel times, and hospital capacity have been repeatedly raised by campaigners and politicians across the region.