Betsi Cadwaladr health board cancels some surgery amid Covid rise

A Welsh health board has cancelled some surgical operations due to a rise in Covid-19 cases in hospitals.

Betsi Cadwaladr health board, which covers north Wales, said the decision was not taken lightly but was necessary to "safely care for patients".

And the health board has also decided to significantly restrict hospital visits as it battles outbreaks at four of its hospitals.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has said cases are "likely to get worse".

It comes after Hywel Dda health board suspended some planned orthopaedic surgery, and Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board banned most hospital visiting.

Betsi Cadwaladr health board's executive medical director, Dr Nick Lyons, said: "Due to the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in our hospitals we are having to postpone some planned surgery in the short term so we can safely care for patients.

"This difficult decision has been made to ensure we can safely provide extra capacity on our sites, due to the number of people being treated for Covid-19 infection at the hospitals.

"Postponing elective operations is not a decision that we have taken lightly and we would like to apologise for any distress and disappointment that this will cause."

In a later announcement, Gill Harris, executive director of nursing and midwifery, said people would only be able to visit hospitals in the area if "absolutely necessary", such as to attend an outpatient appointment or if they were in need of emergency treatment.

The new visiting rules apply to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, Ysbyty Eryri in Caernarfon, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan and Ysbyty Llandudno.

Ms Harris said risk assessments would need to be carried out to allow people to visit hospitals in "exceptional" circumstances, such as to visit a patient who was at the end of their life.

"We understand how difficult not being able to visit loved ones can be and we are sorry that we have had to take this step," she added.

Swansea Bay health board also said it was "under severe pressure" due to high demand.

It said unscheduled care was still available but that waiting times may be longer than usual.

The health board urged people not head to emergency departments unless they had a serious or life-threatening illness or injury.

It comes as the Welsh NHS Confederation warned the suspension of some routine hospital services was "looking likely" to deal with an "enormous peak of pressure" of growing Covid admissions.

Confederation director Darren Hughes claimed the NHS was dealing with greater pressure than it normally had mid-winter.

He said: "No options are off the table. We will do everything we can to treat those people who are in hospitals."

Those needing urgent and emergency care "will always be treated", he added.

Last week Covid cases led to the closure of a ward at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen, while some orthopaedic surgery was suspended in Llanelli and Haverfordwest.

On Thursday Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board suspended most hospital visiting as growing Covid cases led to a spike in admissions.

Mark Drakeford said on Friday the NHS was "under intense pressure".

He said it was "experiencing staffing pressures, through a combination of annual leave, staff working in other areas, sickness and isolation".

"The modelling suggests there could be 100 new Covid-19 hospital admissions every day as the Delta wave peaks," Mr Drakeford added.