Comment on performance pressures facing the NHS in Wales
18 Jan 2015
Commenting on performance pressures on the NHS in Wales, Miss Clare Marx, President of the Royal College of Surgeons said:
“As a College, we recognise that the health service in Wales faces significant pressures in common with the rest of the UK. One of our roles is to drive up standards of surgical care across the UK and to help investigate issues of concern. Our long-standing view has been, and continues to be that this is best achieved in Wales through a strengthened Healthcare Inspectorate in Wales which is best placed to understand the issues and resolve them.
“We are pleased to be working closely with colleagues and leaders in Wales in a number of areas to improve services; we have seen a strong appetite for change which will help improve outcomes for patients. Reforming health services is never easy and will not happen overnight, but there is a genuine desire by managers and doctors to use all the available expertise to help push up standards of care.
“Specifically in 2013, the College raised concerns about patients waiting too long for heart surgery. We are pleased to see that real progress is being made with the number of patients waiting now at their lowest level since figures were first published in 2011.”
Notes to editors
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is a professional membership organisation and registered charity, which exists to advance surgical standards and improve patient care.
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