Improvements in emergency waiting times and Ambulance Service hits target for January

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “It is testament to the hard work of front line staff and robust winter planning that the Welsh Ambulance Service met its target for the most serious “red” patients, and improvements were made against the national 4 hour target for emergency departments in January. We are also encouraged by a reduction in delayed transfers of care for the second month in a row. These improvements have been made in the face of extreme pressure. Last month was the second busiest January ever for our emergency departments.

“We acknowledge that too many people are spending long periods in emergency departments while waiting for a hospital bed, and expect the extra £40m we made available this winter to make improvements in this area.

“Waiting times for scheduled care are being severely affected by doctors reducing hours because of changes to HMRC pension tax rules by the UK Government. By the end of December, this had led to about 3,200 sessions lost, affecting nearly 27,000 patients. The Health Minister has called on the UK Government to resolve this matter urgently.”