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Health secretary apologises for cancelled operations | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Patients whose routine operations have been cancelled due to winter pressures on the Welsh NHS have had an apology from the health secretary. | |
Vaughan Gething said he was "genuinely sorry" if people's treatment had been interrupted. | |
But he maintained the health system was well-prepared to cope with the increased demand on services. | |
Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies called Mr Gething's comments "late in the day" and "just not good enough". | |
Mr Gething told BBC Wales: "In planning for winter the health service reduces the level of planned admissions for operations in any event but given the pressures we've seen understandably there have been extra cancellations". | |
"I don't actually think that anyone facing a planned operation that's cancelled would say it's more important that they have treatment than someone who is a genuine emergency. | |
"But I'm genuinely sorry if anyone has had their care or treatment postponed because of the pressure we are facing." | |
In November Mr Gething said the health system was in the "best possible position" to cope with winter pressures. | |
On Thursday, asked about that comment, he responded: "We're as well-prepared as we can be but I also said there'll be days where it will be incredibly difficult and also there are risks and things that we can't necessarily plan for". | |
Mr Davies criticised the health secretary for failing to respond to questions on the issue sooner. | |
"It's a bit late in the day here on Thursday for the health secretary here in Wales only now to be giving interviews on the situation in Welsh hospitals," he said. | |
"That's just not good enough." | |
England's Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, apologised on Wednesday for cancelled operations there, as has the prime minister. | |
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." |
Earlier on Thursday, NHS Wales chief executive Dr Andrew Goodall also apologised for treatment postponed due to "exceptional" demand, saying December was the highest month on record for life-threatening "red calls". | |
He 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. | |
Advice service NHS Direct Wales received 11,517 calls between 22 December and 2 January, compared to 9,709 calls in the same period last year, while there were 127,859 website visits. | Advice service NHS Direct Wales received 11,517 calls between 22 December and 2 January, compared to 9,709 calls in the same period last year, while there were 127,859 website visits. |
The GP out-of-hours service 111 Wales, which was launched last year and is available in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend and Carmarthenshire, received 11,855 calls. | The GP out-of-hours service 111 Wales, which was launched last year and is available in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend and Carmarthenshire, received 11,855 calls. |
The ambulance service responded to 1,800 incidents on New Year's Day alone - far more than on a usual busy day. | The ambulance service responded to 1,800 incidents on New Year's Day alone - far more than on a usual busy day. |
Mr 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." | Mr 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." |
"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." |
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". | 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. |