NURSES urged the Welsh government to report every case of corridor care today after a health chief warned emergency care is in a “dire” state.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board chairman Dyfed Edwards made the comments while discussing a report into Urgent Emergency Care in north Wales on Tuesday.

Royal College of Nursing Wales chief Helen Whyley said: “We welcome the health board’s honesty, but what Wales needs now is urgent, visible action. 

“That means reporting every case of corridor care, fixing patient flow immediately, ending dangerous handover delays, and working with social care to free up beds and speed up safe discharges. This cannot lead to yet another strategy or report.  

“We demand the Welsh government to act decisively. The crisis has already been named, and today it has been admitted. The time for change is not tomorrow, but now.”

The Welsh Government says: “We do not endorse routine care in non-clinical environments where patient privacy or dignity is compromised. There may be times when the NHS is extremely busy and under significant pressure, which could require exceptional temporary measures.

“We have provided £200m additional funding this year to deliver care closer to home and timeliness of patient discharge to address these challenges, which are not unique to Wales.

“Betsi Cadwalader University Health Board is aware of our expectations, and they are working on improving ambulance patient handover and hospital flow, learning from successful strategies across other regions.”