The Welsh Ambulance Service has declared a critical incident after a huge increase in demand across the emergency services.
There were more than 340 calls waiting to be answered when the incident was declared on Monday evening, according to the service.
At the same time, more than half of the Trust’s ambulance vehicles were waiting to hand over patients outside hospitals.
Patients were waiting for “many hours” for an ambulance as a result, according to the service.
Image: Hospitals around the UK are struggling with a “quad-demic” of winter illnesses. File pic
“It is very rare that we declare a critical incident, but with significant demand on our service and more than 90 ambulances waiting to hand over patients outside of hospital, our ability to help patients has been impacted,” said Stephen Sheldon, the organisation’s head of service.
The service’s chief executive Jason Killens apologised to patients on Tuesday morning.
“The pressure for us continues this morning, we had a very busy day yesterday,” he told BBC Breakfast.
“I want to apologise to patients who waited too long yesterday and continue to wait this morning.”
Mr Killens added he expected waits to continue through until Tuesday evening.
Hospitals around the UK are already struggling with a “quad-demic” of flu, COVID-19, RSV and norovirus, as well as preparing for a busy New Year’s Eve.
Data released by the NHS showed an average of 1,861 patients with flu were in hospital every day in the first week of December – a 70% increase from the previous week when there were 1,099 patients.
The number was also 3.5 times higher than the same time last year.
Image: Ambulances in London – where health services are also under pressure. Pic: iStock
In Wales, Mr Sheldon urged the public to only call 999 in the event of “a life-threatening emergency”.
“That’s a cardiac arrest, chest pain or breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, choking, or catastrophic bleeding,” he said.
“If it’s not a life-threatening emergency, then it’s important you use one of the many alternatives to 999, starting with the symptom checkers on our NHS 111 Wales website as well as your GP, pharmacist, and Minor Injuries Unit.”
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