Only 64.3% of patients were seen within four hours in December, as Conservatives accuse Welsh Government of failing to end long waits

PERFORMANCE in Welsh emergency departments has slipped further from the four-hour target, with new NHS figures showing the lowest level for three years.

The latest statistics show that in December, only 64.3% of patients spent less than four hours in emergency departments from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge — far below the 95% target.

The figures also show 10,193 patients waited 12 hours or more in December, despite the target being that no patients should face waits of that length.

The Welsh Conservatives said the overall NHS waiting list remains at 757,866 patient pathways (November), which they described as the equivalent of nearly one in four people in Wales. They also highlighted what they claim is a continuing gap with England, stating that Wales had 6,883 two-year waits for treatment compared with 177 in England.

In a statement, Peter Fox MS, Chair of the Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee and the Welsh Conservatives’ Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said: “It is clear that after 27 years of Plaid-backed Labour Governments, our NHS is broken. In some areas, the situation is even deteriorating.”

He claimed ambulance response times, cancer performance and emergency department waits had all worsened, and said the Welsh Conservatives would declare a “health emergency”, increase hospital bed capacity, and roll out rapid diagnostic centres and surgical hubs to improve patient flow and cut waits.

The Welsh Government has previously pointed to recent reductions in the overall waiting list and the longest waits for planned treatment, alongside investment aimed at increasing appointment capacity, including through weekend clinics.

Man convicted at Swansea Crown Court in 2017 has case sent to Court of Appeal

THE CRIMINAL CASES REVIEW COMMISSION has referred a man’s convictions for child sexual offences to the Court of Appeal because new information undermines the credibility and reliability of the complainant’s account.

The man, referred to as Mr HS, was convicted in 2017 at Swansea Crown Court of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, four counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and three counts of attempted rape of a child under 13.

He was sentenced to an extended sentence of 16 years, comprising 15 years’ imprisonment with an extended licence period of one year.

There was a single complainant who alleged the offences occurred when she was in Mr HS’ company between 2005 and 2010. The complainant was aged five to 11 at the time of the alleged offences, and she disclosed the offences at the age of 15.

The prosecution case relied on evidence from the complainant and from those to whom she had made her disclosures. Mr HS gave evidence in his defence, denying any sexual activity with the complainant, but was convicted.

In March 2018, the Single Judge refused Mr HS permission to appeal against conviction and sentence. He did not renew his application to the Full Court. The CCRC received an application to review the conviction in February 2023.

During its review, the CCRC considered post-trial evidence that could significantly undermine the credibility and reliability of the complainant’s account.

The account given by the complainant at trial was the prosecution’s main evidence in this case. Consequently, the credibility and reliability of this account was, and remains, fundamental to the safety of Mr HS’ convictions.

The CCRC has found that based on this new evidence, there is a real possibility that the convictions will not be upheld and is referring them to the Court of Appeal.

Identities in the CCRC’s media release have been anonymised to protect the identity of the complainant.

The CCRC is an independent body set up under the Criminal Appeal Act 1995. It is responsible for independently reviewing suspected and alleged miscarriages of criminal justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If a case is referred, it is then for the appeal court to decide whether the conviction is unsafe.

The CCRC has anonymised the defendant in this referral.

A DOCUMENTARY capturing ultrarunner Sanna Duthie’s record-breaking run along the full length of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path is now available to watch online.

Filmed and directed by Martin from Kelp and Fern, the film follows Sanna as she completed the 186-mile National Trail in 48 hours, 23 minutes and 49 seconds, setting a new Fastest Known Time.

From the physical demands of running almost non-stop to moments of quiet reflection among Pembrokeshire’s cliffs, coves and headlands, the documentary offers a close-up look at the determination, resilience and motivation behind one of the UK’s toughest solo endurance challenges.

The film premiered at Theatr Gwaun in Fishguard in November at an event hosted by the Pembrokeshire Coast Charitable Trust. The evening raised more than £500 through ticket sales and a raffle, adding to the £3,000 already raised through Sanna’s run. All proceeds are supporting conservation, heritage and engagement projects across the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Sanna has since been named an official Ambassador for the Pembrokeshire Coast Charitable Trust, recognising her passion for the landscape and her ongoing support for the Trust’s work to protect and promote the Park for future generations.

The documentary is available to watch online via the Trust’s Fundraisers page:
https://pembrokeshirecoasttrust.wales/impact/our-fundraisers

Caption:

Sanna Duthie’s 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path run is the subject of a new documentary now available to watch online.