James Evans MS has issued a stark warning that Wales is in the midst of a health emergency, calling on the Welsh Government to formally declare one and take urgent action to fix the crisis facing the NHS.
Speaking in the Senedd yesterday, James laid bare the scale of the crisis, with nearly 800,000 patient pathways open, thousands still waiting over two years for treatment, and patients in pain being left behind. He called on the Welsh Labour Government to stop hiding behind slogans and start delivering action for people across Brecon & Radnorshire and the rest of Wales. James cited examples of 1 in 3 people in Wales not being able to find an NHS dentist, resorting to self treatment options and some even removing teeth with pliers. James went on to cite examples of elderly lady waiting 30 hours for am ambulance after breaking a hip, another patient lay on the floor for 46 hours waiting for help.
During the debate, Russell George MS, who represents Montgomeryshire in Mid Wales, slammed the Welsh Government for publishing misleading data about Powys patients, accusing Ministers of ignoring the reality that most patients in the county are treated in hospitals across the border in England. He highlighted that Powys Teaching Health Board has been asked to slow down treatment in hospitals like Hereford and Shrewsbury, despite them having the capacity, simply because of budget pressures – a decision that James Evans MS has heavily criticised.
James Evans MS said:
“Wales is facing a health emergency, and it is time the Welsh Labour Government finally admitted it.
“Nearly one in four people in Wales are waiting for treatment. In Brecon and Radnorshire, I hear constantly from families who are waiting months or years in pain for operations, waiting for referrals, can’t access GP appointments and fail to get NHS dental care. We are all aware of the dire Ambulance response times in Powys. A senior Coroner in Wales has said ambulance delays are ‘beyond intolerable’ causing patients to die directly and indirectly as a consequence.
“We have had 26 years of Welsh Labour running our NHS in Wales and the statistics and the experiences of my constituents show we are in crisis. The frontline staff do their very best day in day out, but systems, procedures and senior management are letting down the patients and staff right across Wales. We need a root and branch review of the Welsh NHS. NHS England has better performance times, lower waiting lists – yet Wales, for its smaller population, is in a much worse state.
“This cannot go on. We need honesty, urgency, and a Welsh Government that puts patients before politics. The time to declare a health emergency is now.”
