Llais responds to Healthcare Inspectorate Wales report on the emergency department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd

In its report, HIW raises significant concerns relating to the safety of people receiving treatment; safety in waiting rooms; overcrowding; dignity and privacy; safeguarding; medicines and equipment management; and leadership and governance. 

Last year we published a national report based on the experiences of more than 700 people who had used urgent and emergency care services across Wales, including at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. At that time, people described long waits, overcrowding, poor communication, discomfort, loss of privacy and dignity, and concerns about the quality and safety of their care. At the time, we warned that these experiences should not be allowed to become the "new normal". 

Today's HIW findings demonstrate why those concerns remain so important. They also highlight the importance of making sure that improvement activity underway across Wales translates into meaningful and sustained improvements in people's experiences of care. 

We recognise that emergency departments across Wales continue to face significant pressures and that staff are working in exceptionally challenging circumstances. Patients consistently tell us about the commitment, professionalism and compassion shown by frontline teams, even when services are under severe strain. 

We also recognise that significant work is underway nationally and locally to improve urgent and emergency care services, including programmes focused on performance improvement, patient flow, planned care recovery, community-based models of care and wider system transformation.  

Today's report highlights why maintaining momentum and ensuring that these improvements are experienced by patients on the front line remains so important. 

People have a right to expect care that is safe, timely and dignified. Long waits, overcrowding and care being delivered in inappropriate environments should never become accepted features of healthcare. Where risks to patient safety have been identified repeatedly, people will rightly expect to see meaningful and sustained action. 

We will continue to listen to patients, families and carers across Wales and ensure their experiences of urgent and emergency care are heard by those responsible for planning, managing and improving healthcare services. 

Geoff Ryall-Harvey, regional director for North Wales, said: 

"This is a very serious report and its findings will be deeply concerning for people across north Wales. 

"HIW has identified significant concerns relating to patient safety, leadership, governance and organisational culture. Many of these issues are not new. People have been raising concerns about waiting times, overcrowding, dignity and their experiences of urgent and emergency care for a considerable time. 

"Particularly concerning is HIW's finding that some longstanding risks had become normalised despite being recognised through governance processes, staff feedback and previous scrutiny. People will understandably ask why concerns that have been identified repeatedly have continued to affect patient care. 

"We recognise the commitment of frontline staff, who continue to work hard to provide compassionate care under immense pressure. However, people across north Wales will rightly expect to see sustained improvements that make a real difference to their experience of care. 

The health board is already subject to significant oversight and support arrangements, and a range of improvement actions are underway. People will now want to see clear evidence that these efforts are delivering lasting improvements to the quality, safety and experience of care. 

"People deserve to be confident that when they need emergency care, they will receive it safely and with dignity. We will continue listening to the people of North Wales and making sure their experiences help shape the improvements that are needed at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and across the health board."