“Small number” of routine operations postponed at hospital due to ‘increased pressure’ at emergency departments

A “small number of routine operations” across at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital have been postponed this week.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) say the decision was made due to the additional pressure its staff are managing in emergency departments.

Planned operations at Ysbyty Gwynedd and Glan Clwyd hospitals were also cancelled. However the health board say patients whose operations were postponed will be rescheduled “as soon as possible”.

The health board – along with other across Wales – has experienced increased pressure and demand at its emergency departments in recent weeks.

This has prompted calls to the public to “choose the appropriate health care service” and think about whether visiting A&E is necessary.

A spokesperson for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “We continue to urge people to help us deliver the best care by choosing the right source of treatment to meet their needs. This includes considering whether one of our Minor Injuries Units or a local pharmacist could address your health concern.

“Information on the best source of treatment can be found by calling NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47. Further advice on where to seek medical attention can be found on the Choose Well website (www.choosewellwales.org.uk) or through the free Choose Well Wales app.

“We are also asking relatives and friends to support us by collecting their loved ones promptly when they are ready to leave hospital. This will help us to ensure beds are made available for other people who need them as early as possible.”

Health Minister Vaughan Gething has praised staff at Welsh hospitals this week for their “tireless work during this busy period” and has called for people to Choose Well.

He has visited staff at the Hywel Dda Health Board – which has seen planned operations across a number of its hospitals postponed this week.

Mr Gething, said: “I want to thank staff across NHS Wales and the social care sector who are working hard to provide care to the people of Wales. There is currently pressure across the health and social care system, particularly for frontline ambulance, GP and A & E Departments service staff.

“We are working with all health boards and social care services to ensure they deliver the best possible outcome for patients in the here and now, and to support the further practical work needed to reform our health and social care services.

“I want to reassure people that while some operations are being postponed and not cancelled, a significant number of people continue to access the elective care they need. We invested an additional £30m in September to support NHS Wales and Local Authorities with their winter planning, and much of this funding has been used to help increase available hospital beds, community capacity and social care capacity starting this week.”

However Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM, Llyr Gruffydd has criticised the Welsh Government following the announcement that some planned operations at North Wales hospitals had been postponed.

He said: “Cancelling operations is another sign that Betsi Cadwaladr health board’s senior managers are not coping with the challenges they face.

“I have to ask where this will end – overstretched staff are under huge pressure because of a problem with retention, training and recruitment; ambulances are queuing outside A&E for hours on end; patients can’t access GPs or emergency services in a timely way and on top of that the health board is paying thousands of pounds a day for management consultants.

“All this is happening under the direct control of the Labour Government, which put Betsi into special measures five years ago.

“Where does the buck stop – who is going to stand up and be counted on this matter? Because it’s completely unacceptable that people are waiting for years for operations and then seeing them cancelled at the last minute.”