What is health anxiety and is it clogging up the NHS?
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Latest figures show 73% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&E last month - up from 71.1% in December - but still well below the NHS target of 95%.
Doctors have told Sky News the winter crisis in the health service is being made worse by patients who are demanding urgent and immediate care when it is not always what they need.
On the Sky News Daily, Niall is joined by health correspondent Ashish Joshi to discuss what is behind the rise in health anxiety and he also talks to Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, about how to improve A&E waiting times.
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MS for Delyn Last week in the Senedd, I paid tribute to those at the heart of our communities during Volunteers Week – volunteers, groups and organisers who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Whether it's Mold Community Clubhouse & Gardens, hospital leagues of friends or Walk & Talk Today in Ffynnongroyw, their work matters and makes a difference – and, during Pride Month, let's also celebrate the people powering our local Pride events, such as the first ever Flint Pride last year and Prestatyn Pride last weekend. In the Senedd debate, I called on the Welsh Government to build on its support for volunteers not just with funding, but through creative partnerships that help more people get involved. You watch all my questions in the Senedd on my Facebook page at The NHS matters to us all. Last week in the Senedd I talked about the challenges that remain for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, but also the positive progress that we are seeing being made – two-year waits are down by 67 per cent over the last three years, more than 12,000 patients have come off the two-year wait list and the new Llandudno orthopaedic hub is on track to make a difference when that opens later this year. This demonstrates the difference additional funding makes, thanks to having two Labour governments working together. But investment alone isn't enough, it also takes system change and that won't work without our incredible NHS workforce. That's why during a debate in the Senedd last week, I called for reassurance that staff on the ground will be fully supported and involved in shaping the improvements we all want to see. NHS staff are key to turning around the health board – I am hopeful that we are heading in the right direction, but of course there is a lot more work to do. It was a real pleasure last week to attend the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Community Awards ceremony on Thursday evening. The awards recognise individuals and organisations who are making a difference and making life better for victims, for communities and supporting the police in their work right across North Wales. It was especially lovely to see the work of Louise Rudd and Heather Williams and all the team at Walk & Talk Today in Ffynnongroyw rightly recognised in the Community Champion Award. A few years back now, I joined them at the opening of their first premises and, since then, I've seen them go from strength to strength, making a real and lasting difference to the village and surrounding area. Llongyfarchiadau Walk & Talk Today! Regular readers will know that I'm passionate about amplifying young people's voices – young people are truly the future of Wales and politicians aren't always good at listening to what they have to say. Here in Wales, we have the Welsh Youth Parliament which gives young people the chance to represent their communities from their own perspectives and recently I discovered a podcast entitled 'Get Informed and Get Involved', which has been made by the Youth Voice Network for Wales. If you like podcasts, it's worth a listen – the young presenters tackle how young people can navigate social media, how to tell the difference between reliable information and misinformation and give tips on how to get involved in democracy. I recently met with campaigners from the League Against Cruel Sports and Animal Aid to discuss the urgent need to end the caged breeding of game birds in Wales. Every year, tens of thousands of pheasants and partridges are kept in tiny, wire-mesh cages and are denied the ability to move freely. There are currently no specific regulations protecting these birds and no routine inspections of game bird farms in Wales – despite public opposition and clear welfare concerns, progress has stalled for years. Residents from across my constituency have been in touch about this issue asking for real action. Wales must follow through on its commitments to animal welfare and ban cages for breeding game birds. Finally, I had the chance on Friday to visit Theatr Clwyd to see Tick, Tick… Boom, the first performance in the newly-transformed theatre which will run until June 28 – the venue is operating a phased return so that it could stay open longer during the building work. The transformation was made possible with support from Flintshire County Council, the Arts Council of Wales and £22m of Welsh Government funding and I have to say it's a stunning building which will continue to serve our communities here in North East Wales for many years to come – the new-look theatre, restaurant, community facilities and landscaped areas around it will make the theatre even more of an asset to our area. As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don't hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don't need to wait for an advice surgery.
