September 11, 2026 - 122 views
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) has raised serious concerns about patient safety, leadership and the management of risk at the Emergency Department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.
An unannounced inspection in May led to the department being designated a Service Requiring Significant Improvement – a status used by HIW when it identifies significant concerns requiring urgent action.
The full findings, published this week, describe an emergency department operating under sustained pressure, with inspectors identifying problems including overcrowding, delays in patient flow and concerns about the monitoring and care of patients waiting to be seen.
More than 660 patients, relatives and carers responded to HIW’s survey. Many reported long waits and concerns about privacy and dignity. Inspectors also found that some patients did not receive regular clinical monitoring, timely pain relief, food and drink, help with using the toilet or adequate updates during prolonged waits.
There were also concerns about the children's emergency area, including occasions when it was left unattended while patients were present, issues around paediatric nursing cover, security and the availability of emergency equipment.
HIW said some longstanding problems, including corridor care, overcrowding and delays in patient flow, had become normalised despite having been identified through previous inspections, incident reporting and the health board's own governance arrangements.
However, the report also recognises the difficult circumstances in which the department is operating. Inspectors specifically praised the professionalism, compassion and commitment of frontline staff, while patients also highlighted the caring approach of medical staff.
A follow-up visit on 24 and 25 August found some areas of improvement, including staff wellbeing and engagement, patient flow, safety huddles, paediatric governance, security and the management of medicines and equipment. HIW said, however, that substantial and sustained improvement is still required.
The concerns are significant partly because this is not the first time the emergency department has been subject to enhanced scrutiny. It was previously designated a Service Requiring Significant Improvement in 2022, before being de-escalated in 2024 after inspectors found improvements in the areas of greatest concern. HIW says some of those improvements have not been sustained.
The wider Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board remains under the highest level of NHS escalation – special measures. Welsh Government says the health board has made progress in areas including governance and leadership, but continues to face significant challenges, particularly around urgent and emergency care and waiting times.
The Welsh Government also announced in June that it would take further direct action to support improvement at Betsi Cadwaladr, including an independent review of patient safety, leadership and organisational culture.
Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Senedd for Bangor, Conwy and Môn, has called for an urgent response from the Welsh Government.
She said constituents had contacted her about difficulties accessing healthcare and experiences at A&E, and raised concerns about ambulance handover delays and the impact of long waits on patients.
Ms Finch-Saunders also thanked frontline medical staff, but said responsibility for the wider problems should be placed on the health board's leadership and the Welsh Government.
She is calling on Cabinet Minister for Health and Care Mabon ap Gwynfor to make an urgent statement in the Senedd.
The health board says it accepts the seriousness of the findings.
Betsi Cadwaladr's chief executive Carol Shillabeer apologised to patients who did not receive the standard of care they deserved and said all the actions identified in the HIW report were now being addressed.
She said staff in the emergency department were working under consistently high pressure and welcomed HIW's recognition of their commitment. The health board also pointed to the improvements identified during the August follow-up inspection and said it was committed to turning those improvements into long-term, sustainable change.
HIW will continue to monitor the department through its Service of Concern process. It says the focus will not simply be on whether individual actions have been completed, but whether they result in measurable and lasting improvements in safety, quality and patients' experience.
Patients who need urgent or emergency care are still advised to attend the department when necessary.
