Open letter to the public 

Open letter to the public.

Monday 12th January 2026

Dear all, 

Over the past week, Morriston Hospital’s Emergency Department and other front door services have faced very high demand, leading us to declare two business continuity incidents. We want to update you on the situation and thank everyone who has used our services for their patience. 

Over the last six months, we have made real improvements in urgent and emergency care: 

 • Faster ambulance handovers and fewer delays outside the department 
• More patients discharged home or to community care, creating space inside the ED 
• Reduced ambulance queues and faster response times in the community 
• Shorter waiting times inside the department 
• Less overcrowding, improving patient dignity and staff working conditions 

These improvements have only been possible thanks to our staff, local authority partners, the third sector, and the understanding of our patients and families. 

While some individuals have still waited too long at times—and we apologise for this—the overall trend has been positive. However, in the last week we have seen a sharp rise in ambulance arrivals and walk-ins, combined with fewer patients being discharged despite being medically fit. This has caused overcrowding and long waits, affecting patients and their families, and for that we are truly sorry. 

Our system relies on keeping patients moving through hospital and into the community. Recently that “flow” has been disrupted by high demand, infection-related ward closures, and difficulties discharging patients from Morriston, Neath Port Talbot and Singleton. 

This is why we declared business continuity incidents over the last seven days – the first since March last year. Doing so allows us to take exceptional steps, such as calling in staff on their days off.  In light of the infection-related ward closures we are also reviewing visiting on a ward by ward basis in Morriston.  In the meantime, we ask that anybody with any symptoms of Norovirus or similar refrain from visiting their loved ones to avoid further spread and bed closures which impact our ability to keep patients safe.  

Given the time of year, flu levels and winter weather, we expect pressures to rise again, even though we aim to recover quickly. Our focus is on safely increasing and speeding up discharges, because medically fit patients who stay in hospital unnecessarily can quickly lose independence. 

We are working closely with local authorities, who provide the care packages patients often need before they can go home. Families and friends can also help by making sure practical arrangements—such as keys or basic food supplies—are ready for discharge. 

We are proud of the progress made over recent months, but it is important to be open when pressures are high. We hope this letter explains our current position and reassures you that our long-term direction of travel remains positive. 

Thank you.

Swansea Bay University Health Board