Commenting on the ITV Wales story published this afternoon (January 6), that Hywel Dda University Health Board (Hywel Dda) has cancelled all planned inpatient operations because of what was described as an "extraordinary weekend" of pressures, Shadow Health Minister, Angela Burns, said:
“An ‘extraordinary weekend of pressures’? It seems that Wales NHS suffers from extraordinary pressures month in, month out.
“What I find extraordinary is that the Welsh Labour Government cannot manage the NHS in Wales and planning for the New Year and Winter, bearing in mind that it is, so far, a very mild Winter.
“Let’s not forget that Hywel Dda has a history of cancelling elective and inpatient operations in January.
“If the managers of a health board feel the need to cancel operations, then it reflects poorly on their ability to forward plan for routine, seasonal contingencies, and I worry how Hywel Dda will cope with a real crisis if one arises.
“The frontline staff involved must feel very frustrated, and I urge the Health Minister to get a grip of this situation before it escalates.”
The source story can be found here.