Connect with us
Advertisement
Advertisement

Health

NHS Wales struggles with soaring demand and cancer care delays

Published

on

THE LATEST NHS performance data for April and May 2024 reveals a troubling picture for healthcare services in Wales. The Welsh Government has acknowledged the disappointing figures, highlighting a growing backlog of long waits for treatment and increasing emergency demands. Despite efforts to tackle these issues, the healthcare system continues to face significant challenges.

The data shows an increase in the overall waiting list for NHS services, marking a reversal after 24 months of consecutive falls. Notably, the number of people waiting more than two years for treatment has risen. The Welsh Government attributes part of this increase to reduced activity during the Easter holidays, but the overarching issue remains high demand.

April witnessed the second highest average daily new referrals on record, putting additional strain on the system. Emergency services are also feeling the pressure, with May seeing over 36,600 emergency calls to the ambulance service, averaging 1,182 calls per day. This marks a 2.6% increase compared to the same month last year and includes a significant rise in immediately life-threatening calls.

Cancer treatment statistics present a mixed picture. While more people started their first definitive cancer treatment in April than in March, the overall delivery against cancer targets has declined. This inconsistency is concerning for patients and healthcare providers alike.

Glenn Page, Policy and Public Affairs Manager for Macmillan Cancer Support, criticised the ongoing delays in cancer treatment. “Far too many people living with cancer are still facing devastating treatment delays, and hardworking healthcare professionals are struggling to stay afloat in a system that simply cannot cope,” he said.

The statistics paint a stark picture: in April 2024, over 800 cancer patients in Wales waited more than 62 days to start treatment, nearly half of all those who began treatment that month. Performance in April was the worst in the past four years, continuing a worrying trend highlighted by Macmillan’s recent analysis that 2023 was the worst year on record for cancer waiting times in Wales.

Ailsa Guard, a breast cancer patient from Swansea, shared her harrowing experience of delays and confusion in her treatment journey. Diagnosed in 2021, she waited 141 days to start treatment and has faced continual setbacks. “I have had to push and fight at every stage,” she said. “Without my determination, I seriously believe I would have been lost to the system.”

The Welsh Government has emphasised its commitment to reducing long waits and improving cancer care. A spokesperson stated that new services have been funded to help keep people out of hospitals, contributing to a 2.3% decrease in emergency admissions in May. The government also hopes that upcoming votes by junior doctors, consultants, and SAS doctors to accept recent pay offers will help stabilise the situation.

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, stressed the need for long-term solutions and investments. “The NHS cannot deliver effectively for all patients when things continue to run so hot. We need commitments from governments to longer-term thinking, including focusing on prevention, shifting more care into the community, and capital investment to make NHS estates more efficient,” he said.

As the NHS in Wales grapples with unprecedented levels of demand, the call for sustained investment and systemic changes is becoming increasingly urgent. Healthcare leaders and patient advocates alike are urging the Welsh Government to take decisive action to ensure that the NHS can provide timely and effective care for all its patients.

Health

Planned west Wales ‘super hospital’ on hold for a decade

Published

on

A CALL for an urgent meeting between Pembrokeshire’s leader and the local health board has been made after the board recently identified nine ‘fragile’ areas of service.

Late last year, Hywel Dda University Health Board stated a planned new west Wales hospital, based at either Whitland or St Clears, would not be up-and-running for at least a decade.

That scheme would see both Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest and Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen being ‘repurposed’, with community hubs developed.

In the meantime, the board heard services across the UK have consolidated and standards increased and Hywel Dda risks falling significantly behind other areas with consequences for patient care and staff recruitment, with work to support nine ‘fragile’ services in the interim of a new hospital already begun.

The board’s executive director of strategy and planning, Lee Davies said at the time: “In the absence of a new hospital in the south of our area to address challenges, we need to consider other options to bring together some of our services.

“We anticipate the emerging model, informed by work on the Clinical Services Plan, will seek to build on the strengths of each of the hospital sites in a way that builds complementary areas of expertise.”

At the March 6 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, a submitted question by Cllr Alistair Cameron asked: “On November 28, 2024, Hywel Dda UHB announced that, since financial support is not secured, delivery of a new hospital (to be located in either St Clears or Whitland) is likely to be at least 10 years from now.

“In the same statement the health board stated that it risks falling significantly behind other areas [of the UK] with consequences for patient care and staff recruitment and that it has identified nine fragile services: Critical Care, Emergency General Surgery, Stroke, Endoscopy, Radiology, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics and Urology.

“Could the Leader of Council seek an urgent meeting between the council and the chief executive of Hywel Dda UHB so that he can explain his strategy for safeguarding these nine fragile services which are vital to Pembrokeshire residents and what action has been taken so far?”

Responding, Leader Cllr Jon Harvey said: “I share your concern about health service provision; contact has been made with the health board with regard to a meeting, a response is awaited,” adding that a seminar for councillors on the issue was also due to be held.

Continue Reading

Health

GPs to play key role in NHS transformation

Published

on

GPs in Wales will have a vital role in tackling NHS waiting lists and improving patient care, Health Secretary Jeremy Miles will tell the Welsh Local Medical Committees Conference on Saturday (Mar 8).

He will say the coming year must focus on transforming healthcare delivery to ensure more treatment is available closer to home. As part of this shift, GPs will take a more active role in managing waiting lists and expanding diagnostic testing in communities to ease hospital pressures.

Health Secretary: Jeremy Miles

A new initiative aimed at improving continuity of care will begin by identifying the most vulnerable patients who would benefit from seeing the same health professional at each appointment. The approach is expected to improve outcomes for people with chronic conditions and support efforts to keep more patients well at home.

With more diagnostic and treatment services moving out of hospitals and into local settings, Miles will acknowledge that funding must follow. Health boards will be required to increase and declare primary care spending to support the shift.

GP RESPONSE

While the Welsh Government is keen to shift more responsibilities to primary care, GPs have expressed concerns about workload distribution and financial support.

In January, the BMA’s Welsh GP committee accepted a revised General Medical Services (GMS) contract, which included an additional £23 million in stabilisation payments, bringing total additional investment for 2024/25 to £52.1 million. The contract ensures fair pay for practice staff, including a 6% uplift for GP partners and salaried GPs.

Dr. Gareth Oelmann, chair of the BMA’s Welsh GP committee, said: “This settlement does not resolve every issue, but it provides a solid foundation for future negotiations.”

GPs in Wales are also set to vote on a proposal requiring partners to provide a minimum number of clinical sessions, aimed at ensuring consistent patient care across practices.

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: “It is vital we work together to address the pressures in our NHS by improving access to care and patient flow through the system.

“The role of GPs is fundamental to bringing the system back into balance. This is not about general medical services taking on more and more but about commissioning services in a way that makes primary care sustainable.

“GPs are at the heart of their communities. I want to work with them to develop a system that values their expertise, provides them with the right tools, and ensures patients receive the care they need closer to home.”

Continue Reading

Health

Strategy aims to support people who self-harm and have thoughts of suicide

Published

on

SUPPORTING people to reach out for help if they are struggling with self-harm or thoughts of suicide will help to save lives, the Welsh Government has said.

The Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Sarah Murphy spoke on Friday (Mar 7) about Wales’ determination to remove the stigma of talking about and seeking help for suicide and self-harm.

She also said Wales’ new 10-year strategy to prevent suicide and self-harm, which will be published in April, will improve access to support services.

Speaking at the National Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Conference at the Mercure Hotel in Cardiff, Sarah Murphy said: “Many people are reluctant to talk about their challenges for fear of being judged and labelled – or concern about worrying a family member or friend.

“There is still a lot of work we need to do to ensure services are available for those who need them. But if we don’t remove that initial barrier to accessing support, if we do not create that understanding and allow people to open up without fear of being stigmatised and judged, then success will forever be hindered.”

The new Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Strategy will outline how to improve support services available to people who needed them.

The Minister said: “My aim through the strategy is a relentless focus on prevention and earlier intervention

“It’s only through working seamlessly across social services, welfare support, health and the criminal justice system will we be able to respond sooner, and with compassion, to prevent escalation to crisis point.”

As part of objectives outlined in the strategy, the Welsh Government has already announced a national advice service aimed at supporting all those affected by suicide, and new guidance for agencies and organisations.

Continue Reading

News3 hours ago

Man faces charges over tragic death of baby in Tenby car park

A MAN accused of involvement in the death of a six-month-old baby in a multi-storey car park in Tenby has...

News4 hours ago

Oil tanker and cargo ship ablaze after collision in North Sea

MILFORD HAVEN LINKS TO LARGE SCALE MARITIME RESCUE OPERATION A MAJOR maritime disaster unfolded in the North Sea on Monday...

Crime4 hours ago

Milford Haven man jailed for six years after hiding cocaine in police car

A MILFORD HAVEN man has been jailed for six years after attempting to hide nearly 50 grams of cocaine under...

News16 hours ago

Pembrokeshire becomes latest council to consider devolution of Crown Estate

SENIOR councillors will consider a bid for Pembrokeshire to become the latest council to support the devolution of Crown Estate...

Community2 days ago

Festival of the Sea makes a splash at Milford Waterfront this weekend

MILFORD HAVEN is buzzing with excitement as the Festival of the Sea kicks off this weekend, bringing a wave of...

Charity3 days ago

Cardigan RNLI’s first all-female lifeboat exercise

FROM launch to recovery: for the first time in the history of Cardigan RNLI, the station’s D class inshore lifeboat...

Crime3 days ago

Fishy business: Illegal fishers caught hook, line and sinker

FIVE Belgian fishing companies and their vessel masters have been prosecuted for serious breaches of fisheries legislation in Welsh waters,...

Crime3 days ago

Police seize £860k worth of cannabis in week-long regional crackdown

DYFED-POWYS POLICE say they have seized cannabis plants worth more than £860,000 in a week-long operation targeting large-scale production by...

Community3 days ago

School children and staff parade through in St David’s Day celebration

HAVERFORDWEST was a hive of activity as hundreds of children from 14 schools sang and waved as they paraded through...

News4 days ago

Pembrokeshire Council Tax rise for residents at 9.35% agreed

PEMBROKEHIRE taxpayers are to see their bills increase by 9.35 percent after “political tribalism was set aside,” but an alternative...

Popular This Week