The British Medical Association has called figures outlined in the Royal College Of Emergency Medicine’s (RCEM) report on excess deaths due to long Emergency Department waits in Wales a “shockingly poor state of affairs.”

The Cambrian News reported last week how a new RCEM report estimated nearly 1,000 excess deaths in Wales were linked to people waiting more than 12 hours in emergency departments.

Dr Iona Collins, chair of the BMA’s Welsh Council said: “The latest RCEM figures reflect the shockingly poor state of affairs within our current NHS in Wales.

“Harm is happening to those who wait for care that should be immediately available to them.

“We have repeatedly raised the alarm about overcrowding and corridor care, which harms patients.”