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<\/p>\n\n Wrexham.com > News\n <\/p>\n
Posted: Fri 23rd Jan 2026 <\/p>\n
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A council has declared a \u201chealth emergency\u201d in North Wales over \u201cthird world\u201d conditions for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) patients.<\/p>\n
Conwy County Council leader Julie Fallon\u2019s backed a blistering \u201cnotice of motion\u201d at a meeting today which comes as all six of the region\u2019s county councils raised concerns about the spread of \u201ccorridor care\u201d throughout North Wales hospitals.<\/p>\n
Cllr Fallon said the health board\u2019s chief executive, Carol Shillabeer, and the Welsh Government Health Minister, Jeremy Miles, failed to respond to a letter sent on behalf of all six authorities, raising concerns about the standard of healthcare in North Wales.<\/p>\n
The letter was signed by all six North Wales council leaders and sought clarification over whether \u201ca new policy has been introduced\u201d placing patients \u201cin corridors all night on wards in North Wales\u2019s three major hospitals\u201d.<\/p>\n
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The move piles on pressure on the Welsh Government and the health board.<\/p>\n
Conwy county councillors backed the notice of motion declaring the emergency, which was tabled by Cllr Cheryl Carlisle at a full council meeting today.<\/p>\n
It warned that health services in the region are \u201cin crisis\u201d and demanded urgent action.<\/p>\n
The motion calls for community hospital beds to be reopened, an end to corridor care in emergency departments, an immediate halt to premature patient discharges, and the reinstatement of the stalled Conwy West Health Centre project and its funding.<\/p>\n
The letter stated: \u201cThe reasons for this Notice of Motion are as follows: Care in North Wales is in crisis with BCUHB now having the highest numbers of preventable deaths in Wales \u2013 Section 28 Coroners Reports \u2013 of which many are directly attributed to prolonged waits in BCUHB A&E departments.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe strain being put on Conwy Social Care department is unsustainable, and health outcomes for our Conwy residents are deteriorating unacceptably. The residents of Conwy deserve safe and timely care in our hospitals and secondary care settings, and for Primary Care to get the resources our GPs need to deliver care in our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cllr Fallon addressed the chamber saying the situation had \u201cworsened\u201d as there \u201cappeared to be a policy change\u201d by the health board, placing patients in the corridors of wards at the major hospitals.<\/p>\n
This situation, she said, led to discussions by all six council leaders. Cllr Fallon added: \u201cIt is completely unacceptable to think that they are moving one significant issue in an emergency department and actually then moving that to the wards around the hospital. Patients being treated in corridors when they are unwell is humiliating.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cThis is a loss of dignity, and it\u2019s stripping patients of their self-respect, if this is happening, and it\u2019s completely unfair to our amazing staff.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to stand up and be counted and jump up and down about this.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also urged the health board to address the concerns of local authority leaders:\u00a0 \u201cI call upon Betsi to actually respond to the six North Wales leaders that have written to you asking for clarity on this. I think they\u2019ve had a week now, and the fact that we\u2019ve had no response, it\u2019s really shocking. The fact that the Health Minister hasn\u2019t responded, it\u2019s incredibly disappointing.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough is enough. We can\u2019t have patients lying in corridors dying, which I know is what has happened in emergency departments, and that will happen on the wards as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cIn all the 15 years I\u2019ve been a councillor, I don\u2019t think anything has made me quite as unhappy, cross, frustrated. I\u2019m just generally sad that this is the state of affairs. We are not in a third world country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Introducing the motion, Conwy carers\u2019 champion Cllr Cheryl Carlisle said: \u201cWe represent the people of Conwy, and the Betsi board and the Welsh Government need to know that we will no longer put up with this dangerous and substandard care for our residents.\u201d<\/p>\n
The motion put forward by Cllr Carlisle was seconded by Cllr Jo Nuttall and backed unanimously.<\/p>\n
By Richard Evans \u2013 BBC Local Democracy Reporter <\/p>\n