Winter action plan in place for NHS surge

WINTER resilience plans are in place to deal with the anticipated seasonal surge in demand for NHS services, the Welsh Government has said.

Increased bed capacity and the strengthening of emergency ambulance services are among the measures aimed at easing pressure on GP surgeries and A&E departments, Health Secretary Vaughan Gething has announced.

Mr Gething said: “Winter is always a challenging time for our health and social care services and hard-working staff here in Wales, as it is across the UK.

“As last year, we will see the strengthening of emergency ambulatory care services to enable patients with specific conditions to be treated without needing to stay in hospital overnight wherever possible.”

He added that other actions included strengthening seven-day working, extending working hours, increasing senior decision making at the hospital front door and additional support for out-of-hours services and care homes.

The government will also aim to improve the use of social workers in hospitals and make greater use of pharmacy support.

According to latest figures, more patients are waiting longer for vital operations, while the number of people spending unacceptably lengthy spells in A&E is also on the increase.

If this trend continues into winter, experts have warned that a reduction in bed capacity and staff shortages could lead to operations being cancelled and patient care being compromised.

Speaking last month Tina Donnelly, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, said: “The nursing workforce will be seeing more patients and will be facing significantly increasing pressures which not only affect morale but also their own health and wellbeing.”