The Grange University Hospital is failing patients and staff.
Promised as a new hospital to alleviate some of the problems within the Aneurin Bevan Health Board, the Grange University Hospital has so far failed to prove that it is fit for purpose. A Health Inspectorate Wales (HIW) set of visits in August 2022 found that A&E staff "could not always deliver care to the standard they wanted", and that the people visiting the Grange University Hospital should expect.
Research shows that just 56.3% of patients are seen within 4 hours compared to a Wales average of 69.9%, and only 80.2% are seen within 12 hours. This is not good enough. Patients were found to have waiting for more than 15 hours in ambulances or uncomfortable chairs in the small, cramped waiting room.
Alongside the atrocious A&E wait times, the team of HIW Inspectors highlighted issues like a lack of security around potentially harmful substances, life saving equipment not being checked regularly and out of date medication. These failures are putting more pressure on the already hardworking doctors, nurses and hospital staff who are striving to provide the best care possible.
I am continuing my calls for improvements to the Grange University Hospital, noting that patients and families expect nothing less than basic principles of care and safety when in hospital, which sadly appear to be lacking. At a time when the Welsh Labour Government is looking to spend an estimated £100 million on more Senedd members we should instead be fighting for improvements to our local hospital.
