Betsi Cadwaladr health board declares critical incident

There were queues of ambulances outside Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor on Monday afternoon

An internal critical incident has been declared by the health board covering north Wales.

Betsi Cadwaladr health board described demand on its services over recent days as "unprecedented".

It said this was due to a combination of winter viruses, parents seeking help due to concerns about strep A and injuries related to the cold weather.

As a result, all but the most urgent procedures in hospitals have been postponed.

This has meant extremely long waits for patients to be seen - particularly at A&E departments.

It said the Royal College of Nursing industrial action due to take place on Tuesday and the Wales Ambulance Service strike on Wednesday would limit its ability to respond even further.

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"A lack of available beds in our hospitals is currently leading to unprecedented ambulance delays across the health board and we are working closely with local authority colleagues to support medically fit patients to be discharged from hospital," it said in a statement.

"Similar pressures are being experienced in other health boards and English trusts.

"This morning, we have declared an internal critical incident, which means we are struggling to cope with the prolonged, significant demand on the health system in north Wales."

It was described as an "exceptionally challenging time", with planning ongoing to run urgent services during the upcoming days of industrial action.

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The statement added: "Discussions with unions are ongoing to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of appropriately qualified staff available for areas where the failure to provide services would result in a direct danger to life.

"Staff working in these services will be able to strike only if there is sufficient cover available to ensure patient safety."

Welsh Conservatives' health spokesman Russell George said: "As ever there is plenty of disappointment but no shock to hear that north Wales' health board is once again in trouble and unable to cope.

"It is, sadly, a tale as old as time for staff and patients in the region who have been let down by the way the NHS has been run there by the Labour government in Cardiff Bay."

He called for a plan of action on how the issues will be tackled, especially with strikes imminent.

Plaid Cymru health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said: "The state of our NHS is becoming more and more worrying.

"Staff and patients are suffering as the unsustainability of our health and care service becomes more stark by the day. Only this morning, I was contacted about very unwell patients facing prolonged waits for ambulances.

"Declaring a critical incident may be understandable when things are as bad as they're being described by the health board. But the question is, why is the NHS having to operate at maximum capacity and beyond? It can't."