Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar AM has hit out at the Welsh Government following the publication of new figures which have revealed that over a quarter of patients at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd’s Accident and Emergency department waited more than four hours to been seen last month – making it the worst performing hospital in Wales.

The figures show that the Bodelwyddan hospital missed both its four hour and 12 hour Accident Emergency targets in July.

Despite the Welsh Labour Government’s target that no patient would wait more than 12 hours in A&E, in Glan Clwyd over a quarter of patients waited more than four hours, including 266 who waited more than 12 hours to be seen.

Across Wales 87.7% of patients spent less than four hours in A&E departments until admission, transfer or discharge in July 2014.

The target of 95% has not been met since Carwyn Jones became First Minister in 2009.

Darren said:

"The situation at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd is particularly disappointing given the recent investment in the new emergency department at the hospital.　

"Closing local minor injuries units and axing hospital beds can't have helped this situation.　The Welsh Labour Government must look again at the cuts it is imposing upon the health service in North Wales and work with health chiefs in the region to turn this situation around."

He added: 　

"Under Labour, the Welsh NHS has become a National Waiting Service and after five years of failure against these targets Carwyn Jones should be hanging his head in shame.　

"Waiting more than four or even 12 hours to be seen in A&E is intolerable, especially for young children, the elderly and patients who feel deeply unwell.

"As well as causing misery for patients, these targets are further evidence of a chronically under-performing health service under Labour.

"The Welsh Labour Government promised to bring down waiting times, but too many patients are still waiting too long to be seen.　

"NHS professionals work tirelessly to deliver the best standards of care, but I fear they are hamstrung by the legacy of Labour’s record-breaking NHS budget cuts, which have constrained capacity and heaped even more pressure on already strained services."　

The figures are available online: http://www.infoandstats.wales.nhs.uk/page.cfm?orgid=869&pid=62956