Getty PicturesWelsh ambulance service chiefs have urged the general public to “drink sensibly” at new yr to assist cut back demand on emergency companies that suffered a 340-call backlog on Monday.
Jason Killens, chief govt of Welsh Ambulance Service, made the plea after the service declared a critical incident.
As well as, greater than half of the belief’s ambulance autos have been ready at hand over sufferers exterior hospitals.
Mr Killens requested the general public to make use of the service “correctly” and solely name throughout a “real emergency”, and mentioned it was ready for the extra stress and 999 calls.
Talking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Killens mentioned there have been delays at pressing and emergency care departments which prevented ambulance workers handing over sufferers.
He mentioned that one of many causes for the stress on the well being system was all the way down to winter viruses comparable to flu and Covid together with different elements.
“The stress throughout the pressing and emergency care within the NHS is effectively documented. It is a problem right here in Wales as it’s in the remainder of the UK,” he mentioned.
Mr Killens mentioned different elements had additionally contributed to the pressures positioned on the system.
“It is brought on by many elements some related to sufferers which might be medically match for discharge being unable to get again in to the communities due to the stress in grownup social care,” he mentioned.
Nonetheless, he added that whereas the stress had continued in a single day, the variety of ambulances ready was barely much less.
“As we undergo this morning and we see the numbers of calls coming into us rising all through the day as we usually would, we’ll see that related state of affairs of stress come up as we speak,” he mentioned.
He apologised to sufferers ready “far too lengthy” however mentioned there have been plans in place to handle the backlog of calls.
“We do have docs, nurses and paramedics offering recommendation over the telephone and managing much less severe sufferers differently so we will reply to these far more sick sufferers as rapidly as we will,” he mentioned.
Mr Killens additionally thanked the workers and volunteers for his or her work in the course of the essential incident.
On Monday, the Welsh Ambulance Service described the state of affairs as “very uncommon”.
Talking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Mr Killens defined that declaring a essential incident “alerts the the remainder of the NHS that we have an issue, we’re beneath excessive stress and we’d like assist”.
South Wales Hearth and Rescue Service mentioned it could assist the ambulance service, urging individuals to name 999 “for severe emergencies and the place life is in danger”.
“With the stress on the NHS and the yellow climate warning for Wales over the approaching days, we count on demand for emergency companies to be excessive,” mentioned Christian Hadfield, assistant chief hearth officer.
Well being boards in Wales have reiterated the ambulance service’s message solely to name 999 or go to hospital with life-threatening signs or in an emergency.
A spokesperson for Cwm Taf Morgannwg College Well being Board mentioned its hospitals have been extraordinarily busy.
They mentioned: “None of us desires to start out 2025 in a busy emergency division or at the back of an ambulance so please take care as you rejoice the brand new yr and consider carefully about whether or not your well being want is an emergency.”
A spokesperson for Hywel Dda College Well being Board mentioned its hospital websites, particularly emergency departments, have been beneath “excessive stress”.
A spokesperson for Cardiff and Vale College Well being Board mentioned it was experiencing operational pressures following the Christmas break.
“The rise in flu each in the neighborhood and throughout our hospital websites has resulted in a number of ward closures with 100 beds presently closed of which 10 are empty – we count on this to extend over the subsequent few days,” they mentioned.
A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan College Well being Board mentioned its companies have been going through the identical excessive pressures being reported throughout Wales and the UK.
“We’re presently working at a degree 4 escalation standing, with the calls for prevalent throughout our total system and sadly inflicting lengthy waits for our companies and impacting the move of sufferers by our hospitals.”
‘Sufficient is sufficient’
Dr Rowena Christmas, chair of the Royal Faculty of GPs in Wales, mentioned the state of affairs was worrying and had been for a number of years.
She mentioned: “The quantity of acute respiratory sicknesses we’re seeing in the meanwhile is extraordinary.”
Marie Curie Cymru’s Jon Antoniazzi referred to as the essential incident “deeply troubling.”
“Whereas winter pressures are a relentless problem, on behalf of all individuals with a terminal sickness and their households in Wales, we should draw a line beneath this and say sufficient is sufficient,” he mentioned.
A essential incident was also declared in December 2020, on account of excessive demand, notably in south east Wales.
However an extraordinary incident was declared in 2023 after an ambulance spent greater than 28 hours exterior a hospital.
The Welsh authorities mentioned pressing and emergency care companies throughout Wales continued to see excessive ranges of demand this winter.
A spokesperson mentioned: “We’re urging individuals to solely name 999 within the occasion of a life-threatening emergency and to rigorously take into account the place to go for care. For pressing care wants, NHS 111 Wales may be accessed 24/7 on-line or phone service for recommendation and signposting.
“Enhance in flu circumstances has additional added stress in the course of the Christmas interval and resulted in motion being taken by well being boards together with prevention and management measures.”
