Acute medicine centre at Royal Glamorgan Hospital A&E

An acute medicine centre will open at the front door of a Rhondda Cynon Taff hospital to ease A&E pressures.

It is hoped the service at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, in Llantrisant, will provide faster diagnosis and shorter stays.

It will be located at the entrance to A&E so care can be brought straight to the patient - easing pressure on the department.

It will be staffed 24 hours a day, daily by doctors and nurses.

Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: "The Royal Glamorgan Hospital will become a beacon site for acute medicine, with the aim of strengthening care."

The announcement comes after a leading doctor warned hospital emergency departments in Wales are "on the edge" with staff shortages and waiting times too long.

Dr Robin Roop, head of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in Wales (RCEM), said some patients were waiting more than 24 hours in A&E.

Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething will launch the service on Thursday