‘Challenges to discharge patients’ impact entire hospital system with patients told ‘no capacity at all’

Wrexham’s Member of the Senedd is to write to the chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board following an “escalation” in waiting times at the local emergency department, after information passed to Wrexham.com showed waiting patients were informed there was ‘no capacity at all’ in the hospital wards.

Earlier this week Wrexham.com reported on the “significant demand” facing the hospital this week, which is largely being driven by a lack of available ward beds for patients.

A spokesperson for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board confirmed that disruption with “patient flow through the hospital” is being caused by issues with discharges.

Upwards of 15 ambulances were seen outside the hospital’s emergency department at the height of the delays earlier this week.

One person contacted us to say that their 79-year-old elderly relative with a “severe chest infection” had spent 12 hours waiting for medical care.

Others detailed the ‘huge’ number of ambulances outside, with another who was dropping food for someone waiting on Monday evening describing the situation as ‘unsustainable’.

Another who attended A&E on Tuesday evening said the department was told that there was “no capacity” in the hospital and that one ambulance had been waiting outside for “24 hours.”

According to live data provided by NHS Wales, as of 6:30pm on Thursday (14 March) 90 patients were waiting in the hospital’s emergency department.

Wrexham’s Member of the Senedd Lesley Griffiths said that she will be raising the latest concerns with the chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

Lesley Griffiths MS said: “It’s no secret health services throughout Wales and across the UK are facing severe pressures.

“Demand is increasing and it is important we recognise and pay tribute to the frontline staff that regularly go above and beyond to deliver care for patients.

“I regularly meet and correspond with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Borad representatives, enabling me to raise any local issues and ensure the authorities are aware of patients’ day-to-day experiences.

“From my recent correspondence with the Chair of BCUHB, I know he is aware of the issues facing the Wrexham Maelor Hospital and Emergency Departments across the region.

“However, as the issues appear to be escalating, I will raise these latest concerns with him.”

Wrexham’s Member of Parliament, Sarah Atherton, called for Wales’ Health Minister, Eluned Morgan, to “put immediate measures in place” to protect patient safety.

Sarah Atherton MP said: “This is a scandalous situation and the Welsh Labour Government should be ashamed of burying their heads in the sand over the past few years.

“I demand the Welsh Health Minister puts immediate measures in place to ensure patients’ lives are not put at undue risk due to their lack of duty to care.

“The people of Wrexham deserve better and for the past 4 years, I have been campaigning on their behalf.

“This situation was predicted, and yet the Welsh Government has done nothing except offer empty promises and excuses as to why it is never their fault.

“I am asking the Welsh Government to step up right now and show they are capable of running our health service and Wales.”

We contacted Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board about comments about ambulances waiting for 24 hours at the hospital and to confirm if there was “one nurse for 52 patients” on Tuesday evening.

A spokesperson for the health board referred us to comments made earlier this week and said that “it was not true” that there was just one nurse available on the department.

Information shared with Wrexham.com details a member of staff updating long waiting patients on the current situation in the hospital, indicating one nurse was allocated to around 50 people. The staff member was reassuring those waiting, explaining the tough situation the hospital was in and how the staff were doing their best to ‘keep people safe’, and expressed empathy with those frustrated at the wait while explaining ‘we are all doing the best we can’.

They are heard updating patients saying, “We have no cardiac arrest space. If anybody came in cardiac arrest now we have no space to put them in”, with patients told “…the situation is beyond our control because the entire hospital is full to capacity, and it all lands on us unfortunately”.

While explaining to patients wider numbers of those waiting in the hospital system, “What would happen in an ideal world ten years ago [those patients] would go straight to a ward, but unfortunately there is no capacity in the hospital at all”, with minimal, if any, moves to wards expected over the night in question.

Dr Michelle Greene, Director of the East Integrated Health Community at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “Our Emergency Department in Wrexham Maelor Hospital is extremely busy due to significant demand over the last couple of days, resulting in much longer waiting times than we would like over this period despite the best efforts of our nursing and medical staff.

“We would like to apologise to anyone waiting for a lengthy time, especially those waiting for an inpatient bed, and assure them we are reviewing all options on site to allow us to reduce delays in the department.

“We continue to face challenges to discharge patients from hospital to suitable accommodation or care services.

“This does impact flow through the entire hospital system, and on our ability to bring patients into and through the Emergency Department in a timely manner and we continue to work with our health and social care partners to improve this.

“We would urge the public to only attend the Emergency Department for life threatening conditions and injuries, and please continue to help us by choosing the right service for their needs.

“Patients who do not need full emergency treatment may find that they can get appropriate advice and care from other NHS services, including GP surgeries, minor injury units and local pharmacies.

“Please visit the Health Board and NHS Wales 111 website for advice if you are unsure where to go.”