Emergency and Urgent care services in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan have seen a rise in patients accessing their services as they cope with winter pressures.
The number of patients attending the Emergency Unit (EU) at University Hospital of Wales (UHW) increased by 13% this January compared to last January.
5,310 patients attended the UHW Emergency Unit this January. The greatest increase was seen in patients attending with minor injuries. The team also dealt with a significant rise in the number of seriously ill patients, dealing with up to five major trauma cases in one day.
The GP Out of Hours Service saw a 5% increase in its workload, receiving more than 11,500 calls in January alone.
Despite this rise in demand, health teams have been praised for their hard work and resilience in coping with the increased pressures at a particularly busy time.
The following comment was received from a patient praising the treatment they received on Friday 15th January, when the area was hit by black ice, resulting in the EU team seeing more than 500 patients that day.
“On Friday 15 January I fell on black ice and hit the back of my head. My husband drove me to the hospital and we checked in. After 10 minutes, I was seen by a triage nurse. Following this I was seen by an emergency doctor, had a head scan and my INR level checked as I am on Warfarin.
“The department was incredibly full and many had fallen on the ice as I had. I just want to say how grateful I am for your care and consideration. Everyone was working flat out. The following day my husband had a telephone call from the department asking if I had recovered.”
The health board acknowledges that some patients are still facing delays due to winter pressures and sends apologies to anyone who has had a prolonged wait.
The health board has reiterated the need for patients to consider the most appropriate health service for their needs, especially during times of increased pressure. This not only helps to reduce waiting times but can enable clinical teams to focus on those patients who are in greatest need of urgent and emergency care.
Alice Casey, Chief Operating Officer said: “We continue to face challenging periods and have recently seen a surge in patients accessing our services. Every effort is being made to minimise any delays in seeing and treating patients and we thank the public for their patience at times of increased pressure.
“I commend the staff for their outstanding work in the face of these pressures; they go the extra mile each and every day.
“We continue to emphasise the need for the public to carefully consider the use of healthcare services and to choose well and use alternatives where possible.
“Alternative options include NHS Direct, local pharmacists, GP practices and Barry Minor Injuries Unit, which is one of the best performing injury units in Wales and can usually see patients quite quickly.”
Jane Brown, Head of Out of Hours said; “Our team has seen a significant increase in calls for the service, however we would like to clarify that the service is there to assist patients with urgent care needs only.
“If your condition can wait for your GP surgery to reopen or advice can be given by your local pharmacist we would urge patients to access these services instead.”
