NHS Confederation - Covid improving but NHS pressure remains

27 May 2022 02:56 PM

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, responds to the Welsh Government announcement on the end of all legal Coronavirus regulations.

Responding to the Welsh Government’s announcement on the end of all legal Covid requirements in Wales from Monday, Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said:

“It’s positive to see the public health situation gradually improving in Wales, with cases of Covid coming down across our communities.

“The pandemic has impacted everyone’s lives over the last two years and many people have had to make considerable sacrifices. We can’t thank people enough for everything they have done to help stop the spread of the virus.

“Despite it no longer being a legal requirement to wear a face covering in health and care settings, it’s still strongly advised due to the vulnerable nature of people in these settings.

“However, the ending of Covid regulations does not mean the NHS is no longer under a huge amount of pressure. Demand for services across the whole system (GPs, pharmacies, social care, community care as well as urgent and emergency care) is higher than ever before as staff do all they can to try to make up ground lost. We ask that people think about which services they need to use, going to NHS 111 online as a first port of call.