Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:37 pm on 23 March 2022.
Minister, the major hospital service in both Adam Price's constituency and my own, on the eastern border, is Glangwili hospital. And I'm sure you will agree with me that the A&E waiting times at this hospital are simply unacceptable. The latest figures available show that 46.5 per cent of patients are spending more than four hours in A&E before admission, transfer or discharge, and 16.5 per cent—a sixth of all patients—are spending more than 12 hours waiting, the worst in the whole of the Hywel Dda health board region. One of the contributing factors to these rates is the difficulties that hospitals are facing in discharging patients, with backlogs being seen all through the hospital journey—something that I know that the Health and Social Care Committee are currently looking into. With today marking the second anniversary of the nation being locked down due to COVID-19, it is important we recognise the enormous pressure that our healthcare professionals have been working under for the last 24 months and to thank the NHS staff for their service. But what actions are you as the Minister, and this Welsh Government, taking to address these worrying figures and improve the hospital experience for patients throughout Carmarthenshire?