Royal Glamorgan Hospital A&E scene 'beyond words'

The granddaughter of a woman taken to hospital with suspected heart problems has said the situation in accident and emergency was "beyond words".

Lucinda Wilcox took pictures of patients on trolleys in corridors at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant on Tuesday night.

Miss Wilcox, from Trelewis, Methyr Tydfil, said the scene was "upsetting".

Cwm Taf University Health Board said there was a "high level of demand" at the hospital.

The images were taken on the same day the Health Secretary Vaughan Gething insisted the NHS in Wales was not in crisis.

Responding to a question asked in the Welsh Assembly, Mr Gething there was no evidence that patient outcomes were being compromised at this particular time of year.

Miss Wilcox said she counted nine people on trolleys in the A&E department on Tuesday evening

Miss Wilcox's 86-year-old grandmother was taken to the hospital after showing symptoms of a heart attack.

She was seen straight away because of the nature of her condition but others had much longer waits, Miss Wilcox said.

"The people on the trolleys, some of them were on their own, they were hunched over in the beds," she added. "They were coming off the trolleys because obviously they'd been there for so long.

"The health minister had said there was no crisis. Well I think perhaps some time needs to be spent in the A&E departments for them to see exactly what's going on.

"It's why I took these photos to show that, 'I'm sorry, you are wrong in what you are saying'."

Cwm Taf University Health Board said: "We continue to manage a high level of demand at both Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil and Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant.

Ambulances parked outside the A&E department at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital on Tuesday evening

"The escalation levels are currently between three (severe pressure) and four (extreme pressure).

"Although we have plans in place to deal with winter pressures, the public can help us by choosing the appropriate health care service for their needs including one of our minor injury units, their GP, pharmacy or ringing NHS Direct Wales."