HEALTH unions in Wales reacted sharply today to the news that a health board had declared the highest level of alert for seasonal pressures.

The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CAVUHB) declared the seasonal emergency and advised patients not to attend accident and emergency departments unless it was life-threatening.

The board said that the seasonal difficulties had been exacerbated by limited bed availability due to lengthy patient stays in hospital.

Unison Cymru’s Steve Belcher said: “Unison is extremely concerned about the current situation in the health board and will be monitoring this closely.”

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales director Helen Whyley told BBC Wales that “the reality is this pressure is here all year round.”

Ms Whyley said that RCN members in the health board are telling us that it is very challenging. 

“They feel stressed, they feel the pressure coming in for a number of reasons,” she said.

“We don’t have time to keep talking. We need to see action. Without it, our system is not just creaking, it is buckling.”

The CAVUHB said that a combination of factors had led to the change in status.

This included a high number of patients presenting who were frail and requiring more complex care, together with a large number of patients within the organisation who needed to be discharged.

A spokesperson for CAVUHB said: “This sustained pressure continues to present challenges to the way we deliver patient care.

“At this stage, there is no disruption to elective and clinical appointments which continue to operate as usual,” the spokesperson said.

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “CAVUHB reported a business continuity incident to us on Tuesday. 

“The organisation is dealing with this operational issue with its local authority partners. There has been no contact with other services such as the military.

“We are investing in same-day emergency care and extra community beds as well as integrated solutions with social care services to improve patient flow through hospitals and tackle ambulance handover delays.”

Cardiff and Vale is the only health board in Wales currently on the highest alert level.

During winter 2022 all seven of the health boards in Wales had declared the same level of escalation.