Health board cancels planned operations due to pressures as First Minister insists system is 'holding up'
A Welsh health board has cancelled all of its planned operations following what it called an "extraordinary weekend" of pressures.
Hospitals across the Hywel Dda University Health Board, which covers mid and west Wales, experienced "a level of escalation not seen before" over the weekend. As a result, one health board boss confirmed the decision had been made to cancel all inpatient operations in the "interest of patient safety".
The hospitals affected are Bronglais, Glangwili, Prince Philip and Withybush hospitals.
Dr Philip Kloer thanked NHS staff for their commitment during what was a "highly pressurised time" and apologised for the cancellations.
"I understand this may be frustrating for those who have waited for their operation and I apologise for this."
Patients are also being asked to avoid contacting outpatient teams unless "absolutely necessary" with staff described as "very busy at this time".
The news came as the First Minister of Wales insisted the plans for hospitals and health boards to cope with pressures over the winter period were "holding up."
"The £30m that the Welsh Government provided earlier than ever in the year to allow health boards to prepare for winter, are holding up", Mark Drakeford said.
"The system is under very significant pressure but continues to respond positively to it".
The latest figures show pressures on A&E and the ambulance service in Wales were the most severe on record in November, with targets for emergency care being missed across the board.
Almost 6,000 patients spent 12 hours or more in an emergency care facility - the highest number on record.
Conservative Shadow Health Minister, Angela Burns, said: “It seems that Wales NHS suffers from extraordinary pressures month in, month out.
“If the managers of a health board feel the need to cancel operations, then it reflects poorly on their ability to forward plan for routine, seasonal contingencies, and I worry how Hywel Dda will cope with a real crisis if one arises.
“The dedicates and hardworking frontline staff of the hospitals affected must feel very frustrated, and I urge the Health Minister to get a grip of this situation before it escalates.”
Responding to the cancelled operations, Plaid Cymru shadow minister for health, Helen Mary Jones AM described it as "deeply concerning".
“It is worrying that there isn’t sufficient capacity in the system to deal with these pressurised situations - and all of it is happening under Labour’s watch.
“I will be challenging the Labour Health Minister... on what he is going to do to tackle his and his government’s continued mismanagement of our health system in Wales."