Welsh Tories to declare health emergency and send volunteers to hospitals if elected

Kyle Bright

The Welsh Conservatives have outlined plans to declare a national health emergency, alongside the creation of a reserve of volunteer hospital staff to address the issues that face the Welsh NHS.

The proposals were unveiled during the Conservative Party’s Welsh conference in Llandudno as part of their Plan to Fix the NHS and Social Care, which aims to “increase hospital capacity and restore patient safety”.

It details that the initiation of a COVID-type emergency response would coincide with the designation of 12-hour waits in emergency units as “never events” to end corridor care.

Peter Fox, the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said the declaration of an emergency is a response with the “urgency the situation demands”.

“That means reopening beds, boosting staffing levels, and ending the unacceptable practice of treating patients in corridors,” Fox says.

The party would also form a pool of trained and vetted volunteers under a new NHS Wales Reserves Service to be deployed during crisis periods and high demand.

Fox claimed the service will bring support during periods of pressure on the health service, saying: “Our NHS needs greater flexibility and resilience.

“An NHS Wales Reserves Service will ensure that when demand surges, trained and vetted volunteers can step forward to support frontline staff.”

Other aspects of the plan include the reopening of closed community hospital wards for step-down and rehabilitation care, an increase in the number of hospital beds, and the establishment of a dedicated NHS recovery team.

The Welsh Tories also promise a real terms increase to health and social care spending every year of the next Senedd term if they were to get into government.

Longer-term measures

The party has pledged that it will modernise the health service through an efficiency taskforce, and the greater use of AI.

They will also aim to retain and recruit more hospital staff, including the refunding of tuition fees for health professionals who commit to working in the Welsh NHS.

Additionally, the party commits to creating a 21st Century Hospitals Fund with the aim of modernising infrastructure.

For patients, a Patients’ Rights Charter will be published which includes a seven-day guarantee for appointments, expanded surgical hubs and diagnostic centres, plus cross-border access to care where needed.

‘Fit for the 21st century’

The Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care claimed the NHS is in “crisis” after “27 years of Labour mismanagement”.

He continued: “Patients are waiting too long for ambulances, too long in emergency departments, and too long for treatment. That is simply not good enough.”

On his party’s plans, Peter Fox said the aim was to build a “resourced” and “accountable” health service that is “fit for the 21st century”.

“We will invest in staff, modernise our hospitals, strengthen governance and empower patients with real choice.”, he added.

“The people of Wales deserve an NHS that works for them — one that is safe, efficient and focused on delivering high-quality care as close to home as possible. Our plan will fix Wales’ NHS.”