The recent heatwave has led to record demand on NHS services in Wales, according to the latest figures. July saw the highest number of emergency department attendances on record for Wales, with an average of 3,357 attendances daily.
Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, stated that the hot weather contributed to this record demand and placed staff "under considerable strain". Hot weather can increase demand through incidents such as falls due to dehydration, dizziness, and reduced mobility.
For the third consecutive month, the total number of people waiting for NHS treatment in Wales has increased. In June, there were just under 698,400 patient pathways, an increase of about 8,700. These figures are estimated to include 547,500 individual patients, as some are on multiple waiting lists.
Despite the record demand, emergency department performance improved slightly, with better four-hour and 12-hour targets met, and average waiting times falling to two hours 57 minutes. Cancer services also showed improvement against key targets, even with a 17% rise in referrals for suspected cancer.
Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor described the statistics as "stark" and acknowledged that overall waiting times performance is "nowhere near where it should be". He announced an additional £145m to support the NHS in Wales, with plans to tackle waiting lists and times to be revealed in the coming weeks.