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| NHS Wales chief executive apologises for cancellations | NHS Wales chief executive apologises for cancellations |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Patients whose routine operations have been postponed due to recent "exceptional levels of demand" on the service have received an apology from the chief executive of NHS in Wales. | Patients whose routine operations have been postponed due to recent "exceptional levels of demand" on the service have received an apology from the chief executive of NHS in Wales. |
| Dr Andrew Goodall said December was the highest month on record for life-threatening "red calls". | Dr Andrew Goodall said December was the highest month on record for life-threatening "red calls". |
| He added cancellations came as a result of trying to balance those pressures. | He added cancellations came as a result of trying to balance those pressures. |
| On Wednesday, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Wales said emergency departments felt "like a battlefield." | On Wednesday, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Wales said emergency departments felt "like a battlefield." |
| Dr Goodall said this winter had been a "very challenging period for the NHS in Wales", with the ambulance service seeing a rise of almost 50% in the number of red calls it attended on New Year's Eve. | Dr Goodall said this winter had been a "very challenging period for the NHS in Wales", with the ambulance service seeing a rise of almost 50% in the number of red calls it attended on New Year's Eve. |
| The ambulance service said it had responded to 1,800 incidents on New Year's Day alone - far more than on a usual busy day. | |
| "This morning I know that there are 400 patients in our A&E departments across Wales, and around 15% of them are over 85," Dr Goodall said. | "This morning I know that there are 400 patients in our A&E departments across Wales, and around 15% of them are over 85," Dr Goodall said. |
| "The NHS is responding to a very significant degree of pressure, and we have had winter plans in place to support this. | "The NHS is responding to a very significant degree of pressure, and we have had winter plans in place to support this. |
| "It's also very clear that staff have been fantastic on the ground in responding." | "It's also very clear that staff have been fantastic on the ground in responding." |
| "We know that it is always going to be busier. There have been around 400 extra beds in the system. | "We know that it is always going to be busier. There have been around 400 extra beds in the system. |
| "It is also important that we are adaptable to these pressures and we make sure we can respond to any increases in activity." | "It is also important that we are adaptable to these pressures and we make sure we can respond to any increases in activity." |
| On the cancelled operations Dr Goodall said: "Any cancellation is a decision of last resort which is in the interest of trying to balance some of the emergency pressures alongside some of the planned care." | On the cancelled operations Dr Goodall said: "Any cancellation is a decision of last resort which is in the interest of trying to balance some of the emergency pressures alongside some of the planned care." |
| Health Secretary Vaughan Gething tweeted his agreement with Dr Goodall's comments. | Health Secretary Vaughan Gething tweeted his agreement with Dr Goodall's comments. |
| 'NHS stepped up' | 'NHS stepped up' |
| Stephen Allen's 82-year-old mother Barbara waited on a hospital trolley for more than four hours until she could be admitted to Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales last week. | Stephen Allen's 82-year-old mother Barbara waited on a hospital trolley for more than four hours until she could be admitted to Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales last week. |
| She was taken there by ambulance after feeling unwell following her kidney dialysis and suffering a chest infection. | She was taken there by ambulance after feeling unwell following her kidney dialysis and suffering a chest infection. |
| But despite the lengthy wait, Mr Allen praised the staff. | But despite the lengthy wait, Mr Allen praised the staff. |
| He said: "They were working in a very intolerable situation where upon we had multiple patients coming in and basically they had nowhere to put them. | He said: "They were working in a very intolerable situation where upon we had multiple patients coming in and basically they had nowhere to put them. |
| "Mum was not very well, she was sleeping thankfully so some of it passed her by... but it wasn't good for her, she was sat on a hard stretcher for a long period of time, which was nobody's fault really, they just had no capacity to be able to put her into a more comfortable position." | "Mum was not very well, she was sleeping thankfully so some of it passed her by... but it wasn't good for her, she was sat on a hard stretcher for a long period of time, which was nobody's fault really, they just had no capacity to be able to put her into a more comfortable position." |
| He added: "People say it's like a battlefield, well it wasn't like a battlefield, it was really well organised. They knew exactly what they were doing, they knew exactly what to do and they just got on and did it. | He added: "People say it's like a battlefield, well it wasn't like a battlefield, it was really well organised. They knew exactly what they were doing, they knew exactly what to do and they just got on and did it. |
| "As always, the NHS stepped up when they needed to." | "As always, the NHS stepped up when they needed to." |
| Richard Lee, the Welsh Ambulance Service's director of operations, said there had been "sustained pressure across the whole health system" over the Christmas and new year period. | Richard Lee, the Welsh Ambulance Service's director of operations, said there had been "sustained pressure across the whole health system" over the Christmas and new year period. |
| He said in addition to the extra calls, staff had encountered "significant handover delays at hospitals". | He said in addition to the extra calls, staff had encountered "significant handover delays at hospitals". |
| He added: "We are confident of the robustness of our clinical response model in prioritising the sickest patients first. | He added: "We are confident of the robustness of our clinical response model in prioritising the sickest patients first. |
| "However, we recognise that some patients do face longer waits than we would like when system-wide pressures occur, and continue to work with our NHS Wales colleagues and partner agencies to ensure their safety." | "However, we recognise that some patients do face longer waits than we would like when system-wide pressures occur, and continue to work with our NHS Wales colleagues and partner agencies to ensure their safety." |
| 'Completely unacceptable' | 'Completely unacceptable' |
| Vanessa Young, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation which represents health boards, said the growth in funding for the NHS this year had been less than in previous years - "so we're starting the year in a more difficult position". | |
| "The funding we receive from Welsh Government is very welcome and we're doing what we can to make the most of it." | "The funding we receive from Welsh Government is very welcome and we're doing what we can to make the most of it." |
| She added: "There is a question in society we need to ask about the type of NHS we want as society changes - we can't expect it to respond when we're being asked to do more and more each year with resources that aren't growing at the same pace." | She added: "There is a question in society we need to ask about the type of NHS we want as society changes - we can't expect it to respond when we're being asked to do more and more each year with resources that aren't growing at the same pace." |
| Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood claimed cuts to the number of hospital beds in Wales had put patient safety at risk, and urged the Welsh Government to take action. | Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood claimed cuts to the number of hospital beds in Wales had put patient safety at risk, and urged the Welsh Government to take action. |
| She said it was "completely unacceptable" the target of having no more than 85% of beds occupied in general and acute hospital services had not been met since 2011. | She said it was "completely unacceptable" the target of having no more than 85% of beds occupied in general and acute hospital services had not been met since 2011. |
| "Experts say that when occupancy is pushed above this level it poses a risk to patients because it can lead to the spread of disease or viruses," Ms Wood said. | "Experts say that when occupancy is pushed above this level it poses a risk to patients because it can lead to the spread of disease or viruses," Ms Wood said. |