The Welsh Ambulance Service has reported a dramatic improvement in patient handover times, with delays reduced by more than 87% in June compared to the previous month. The figures, released by the Welsh Government, show that nearly three-quarters of patients were transferred to emergency department care within just 15 minutes.
The positive shift comes as part of a broader effort to tackle longstanding delays, with the launch of a new national, clinically-led taskforce aimed at improving the speed and efficiency of ambulance handovers across Wales. The initiative is designed not only to ease pressure on emergency departments but also to free up ambulance crews to respond to urgent 999 calls more quickly.
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles welcomed the progress, saying: “Today’s figures show that our focus on improving ambulance patient handover performance is working, with handover times in June the lowest since September 2021. With improvements in same-day emergency care and patient flow in place, significant progress is being made in most areas of Wales.
“Staff across Wales work hard day in, day out, to provide the best possible care for patients and I want to thank them for their continued efforts and the improvements we are seeing. We’ve recently set up a national, clinically-led taskforce to support these efforts and have been clear with health boards about our expectations.
“With changes to how the ambulance service manages 999 calls, it’s important we continue to work to see further progress to ambulance patient handover performance.”
Despite the encouraging statistics, the Welsh Government acknowledged that pressures on emergency services remain high. June marked the third-highest daily attendance at emergency departments on record, although the average time from patient arrival to triage was 16 minutes – the quickest since February 2021.
However, ministers admitted there remains “too much variation” in performance across different areas of Wales, signalling that more work is needed to ensure consistency nationwide.
The Welsh Ambulance Service also introduced changes at the start of July to enhance the way it responds to critical 999 calls. A new ‘purple’ category has been established to prioritise patients experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Meanwhile, the existing ‘red’ category continues to cover life-threatening emergencies, such as severe trauma or patients at high risk of cardiac or respiratory arrest.
Looking ahead, a new ‘orange: time sensitive’ category is set to be introduced before the winter. This will focus on patients displaying clear symptoms of conditions such as stroke or acute coronary syndrome, ensuring those in need of rapid intervention are seen swiftly.
While the data signals meaningful progress, the Welsh Government and health services alike are clear that sustained effort and close monitoring will be essential to maintaining and building upon these gains throughout the year.
