More patients waiting over 12 hours at accident and emergency units in Wales compared to a year ago

The number of patients having to wait more than 12 hours at an A&E unit has risen dramatically compared to a year ago.

4,069 patients waited more than 12 hours in January, compared to 3,290 in the same month in 2016 – a rise of 23.6%.

Latest monthly figures show the number of patients waiting less than four hours was around the same as in December.

However, just 79% of patients were seen within the Welsh Government’s 4 hour target period, an improvement on 78.6% for the same month in 2016

The monthly figures look at times patients wait from arrival to their discharge, admission or transfer.

There is a target of seeing 95% of patients within four hours and no patients should wait more than 12 hours.

Commenting, Shadow Health Secretary, Angela Burns, said:

These figures are extremely disappointing and highlight the serious challenges faced by the Welsh NHS under Labour’s mismanagement.

It is especially frustrating to see such a marked increase in the number of people waiting longer than 12 hours for treatment in a Welsh A&E department.

There are a number of factors which have contributed to this rise – too few hospital beds, difficulties accessing GP appointments, and of course, the closure of local minor injury units.

Sadly, the people paying the price for this failure are patients and dedicated NHS staff.

Live A&E wait time smartphone app launched in North Wales

Figures released this week also show an 11% increase in patients waiting in ambulances for over an hour outside two of north Wales’ three acute hospitals.

In total, 893 patients were affected, up by 89 from 804 in November.

Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, and Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor saw increases while Wrexham Maelor had fewer people waiting.

Monthly Accident & Emergency Report – After April 2013 (pdf)