Welsh NHS Confederation comments on latest health service use figures

4 Oct 2016 11:04 AM

Vanessa Young, Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said: “These figures provide a snapshot of the use of NHS Wales services and show the huge level of demand on our National Health Service.  

“In two weeks alone around one in five adults in Wales spoke to a GP and around one in three of us had an outpatient appointment in the course of the year.  More than half of adults in Wales reported taking regular prescribed medication for a year or more and one in five reported attending casualty in the last twelve months.

“These figures demonstrate how much we rely on our NHS and how hard staff are working to meet patients’ needs. Our members work tirelessly to provide high quality and timely care, but with an ageing population, an increase in complex care needs and technological advances, demand is expected to rise even further in coming years.  Against that background we need the NHS, the public and other parts of the public sector to work together to reduce that demand by helping people become and stay fit, well and independent.

“While our members and partners strive to introduce new health and care services delivered in the community we would also encourage members of the public to work with us by choosing the right service when they are unwell and by taking whatever action they can to improve their own health and wellbeing.”

Welsh health service use statistics