Minister apologises for Wrexham Maelor Hospital’s A&E delays

The Health Minister has apologised to patients facing long delays at Wrexham Maelor Hospital’s Emergency Department, where less than 40 per cent of patients were seen within four hours in December – the worst performance in Wales for the second consecutive month.

New NHS data, covering December 2024, reveals just 39.6 per cent of patients at the Maelor’s A&E were treated or admitted within the Welsh Government’s four-hour target. This marks a drop from 48.4 per cent the previous month.

The Welsh Government aims for 95 per cent of patients to be seen within four hours, but the national figure in December stood at 64.8 per cent, well below the target. The Maelor’s figures highlight the ongoing strain on emergency services across the region.

During a visit to Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Health Minister Jeremy Miles addressed the concerning figures, standing in front of live dashboards displaying current patient wait times.

Responding to questions, he acknowledged the frustration of those facing delays.

“I’m sorry that people are waiting longer than they should be,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen. We want people to be able to be admitted into hospital, to get the care they need as quickly as possible.”

Mr Miles attributed some of the delays to an unprecedented surge in demand. “What we saw in November was the highest level of red ambulance calls on record – that’s the most urgent – and it was 13 per cent higher again in December. But, actually, ambulances were able to see more people quickly in that time,” he said.

Despite improvements in ambulance response times, Mr Miles acknowledged that issues remain at the hospital level. “The challenge is being able to admit those patients safely and quickly,” he explained.

The Minister noted that additional funding has been allocated to the health board to recruit more staff and increase capacity across North Wales. “We’ve provided funding for the health board to take on more staff to help them do that right across North Wales,” he added.

The figures come amid wider pressures on emergency care services across Wales, with an increasing number of patients seeking urgent care and ongoing challenges in discharging patients to free up beds.