THE health care system has ‘shattered into tiny pieces’ it has been claimed, as patients are left waiting hours on end to be seen.

Buckley Councillor Carol Ellis said she was at Wrexham Maelor’s A&E department on Wednesday after her husband was referred by the GP for a ‘serious issue’, but was ‘horrified’ with what she saw.

She said: “I haven’t quite got the exact words. Horrific doesn’t cover it.

“I have never seen anything like it in my life. There was so many people, it’s unbelievable.

“I can’t put across how busy the staff were, they were working 13 hour shifts to cover people who hadn’t turned up. They looked exhausted.

“What really hit home, and kept me awake, was one of the nurses said to me, and I keep this in my mind, they said that people are going to start dying here unnecessarily because they can’t keep up with everyone. There were no beds, no staff, they were short of equipment.

“I do sympathise with the staff but it’s totally unacceptable.”

Cllr Ellis said her husband, like many people, had to wait on a trolley in the corridor to be assessed by a doctor and due to the lack of space, had to have an ‘ECG test in front of everyone’.

She believes there were approximately two doctors to assess over 80 people in the A&E department.

Cllr Ellis said: “The average wait yesterday was 10 to 12 hours. They were short staffed.

“The system isn’t broken, it was broken 10 years ago, it’s shattered into tiny pieces. Something needs doing, someone somewhere needs to be held accountable.

“We went through triage at 6.30pm and didn’t see a doctor until 1am, it’s a long time when it’s something quite serious.

“It’s worrying. It’s not the staff, it’s the system. The staff are doing the best they can.

“There has to be a way of fixing it. Betsi has been in special measures for a while and it’s gotten worse. I have been to A&E many times and have seen horrendous waiting times.

“It does affect my confidence in the health sector. People are going to start dying because people can’t get to them. How can two doctors assess 80 people?”

Cllr Ellis said: “There’s no hospital in Flintshire, I think that is what’s needed. We have that many residents that live here but we have to travel.

“We knew it would be a long time but not like that. I was going for a walk because it was that hot there and it was just wall to wall with people, really sick people.

“He was lucky he got seen when he did, it was quicker than most.

“Not for one minute do I blame the staff, I think they all deserve a medal.”

Latest figures from Welsh Government shows that in July 2019, Wrexham Maelor saw 5,688 people through the door.

Of that, 76 per cent of those patients spent less than the eight-hour target time in A&E, from the time of arrival until they were admitted, transferred or discharged. Around 14 per cent spent more than than 12-hours in A&E.

A spokesman for the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board said: “Our Emergency Department was exceptionally busy on Wednesday, and we apologise to anyone who waited longer than they would have expected for treatment.

“People who visit our Emergency Department are prioritised based on the level of the care they need, and we continue to urge people to help us deliver the best care we can by choosing the right source of treatment to meet their needs.

“Information on the best source of treatment can be sought from NHS Direct Wales by calling 0845 46 47.

“Further advice on where to seek medical attention can be found on the Choose Well website (www.choosewellwales.org.uk) or through the free Choose Well Wales app.”