Senedd narrowly rejects calls to declare health emergency

THE Senedd has narrowly rejected calls to declare a health emergency as the Conservatives warned NHS Wales is in the worst state it has ever been.

- CHRIS HAINES ICNN Senedd reporter

James Evans pointed out that nearly one in five people are waiting for treatment, with more than 250,000 people waiting more than nine months for care.

Leading a Tory debate, the shadow health secretary told the Senedd that more than 100,000 people in Wales wait more than 12 hours in A&E each month.

Mr Evans said: "While they wait, ambulances queue outside, unable to offload patients, tying up paramedics who should be on the road saving lives. The ambulance service has not hit its target for eight-minute response times for life-threatening calls for four years straight."

He warned GP services are overwhelmed, NHS dentistry is collapsing and mental health services are also in crisis.

"If that’s not an emergency, I do not know what is," he said.

Mabon ap Gwynfor, Plaid Cymru’s shadow health secretary, supported the Tory motion, pointing out that his party made calls to declare a health emergency in February 2024.