COVID-19 pandemic in Wales
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Wales on 28 February 2020, with a case being reported in the Swansea area; this first known case was a person who had recently returned from Italy.[5] The first known case of community transmission was reported on 11 March in the Caerphilly area.[6]
For the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK as a whole, see COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
Wide-ranging restrictions began on many aspects of life in the second half of March 2020; restrictions were relaxed in Wales during the summer once the first wave of virus had passed. In the autumn of that year, with cases rising, restrictions began to be tightened again with individual areas being placed under localised lockdowns. A two-week complete "circuit-breaker" lockdown began in late October. Rising cases and a new variant of the virus led to restrictions being increased again in December. The rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations and a fall in cases led to restrictions being relaxed in the spring and summer. Restrictions were briefly tightened and relaxed at around the end of 2021 due to a new variant of the virus. Most COVID-19 related legal restrictions concluded in Wales by the end of March and much of the infrastructure built up around managing the virus was wound down by the middle of 2022.
Many aspects of the response to COVID-19 were the responsibility of the devolved Welsh government.[7] Health is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Though healthcare is largely run by the state across the UK (through NHS Wales in the Welsh case) with some private and charitable provision, policy and outcomes vary.[8][9] There was a Conservative Government in Westminster, and a Labour led Government in Cardiff; this ideological divide may have contributed to variances in approach.
Healthcare response[edit]
Hospital capacity[edit]
In 2018–19 there were around 10,563 beds available in hospitals within Wales.[94] As of 7 April 2020 Wales had 369 critical care beds, with plans in place to increase capacity further.[95] In early April 2020, there were 415 ventilators currently in Welsh hospitals, with a further 1,035 ordered.[96]
Temporary hospitals[edit]
On 27 March 2020, it was announced that the Principality Stadium in Cardiff was to be used as a temporary hospital for up to 2,000 beds.[97] Each health board in Wales later announced that they were increasing the number of beds available in their current hospitals and, with the exception of Powys Teaching Health Board, would be opening a total of 16[98] temporary hospitals in available spaces.[99] In Powys, a further three special 'field hospital' facilities were set up – at the Brecon War Memorial Hospital, in Llandrindod Wells County War Memorial Hospital and at the Victoria Memorial Hospital, Welshpool – and beds were designated for the treatment of COVID-19 patients at community hospitals and health and care centres in Bronllys, Builth Wells, Knighton, Llanidloes, Machynlleth, Newtown and Ystradgynlais.[98] Powys also had arrangements with neighbouring boards for access to beds in case of need.[98]
On 9 April it was announced that the temporary hospital to be located in the Principality Stadium would be called Dragon's Heart Hospital and would be the largest hospital in Wales and the second largest in the United Kingdom.[100] On 14 September it was announced that the hospital would be decommissioned and replaced by a smaller temporary hospital with 400 beds, to be located close to the University Hospital of Wales.[101][102] The same announcement explained that the 19 'field hospitals' would be reduced to 10 to be retained over the coming winter period.
Research and innovation[edit]
A COVID-19 medical ventilator designed by Rhys Thomas, a consultant anaesthetist at Glangwili General Hospital in Carmarthen, Wales was given the go-ahead by the Welsh Government.[88] The machine, designed in a few days, was used successfully on a patient in mid-March, and subsequently funded by the Welsh Government to develop further in order to clean the room of viral particles and only supply purified air to the patient. In early April it was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and on 12 April the ventilator, designed and built in Wales, was also approved by the UK Government. It is being produced by CR Clarke & Co in Betws, near Ammanford. The idea was suggested by Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price who challenged Thomas to come up with a simpler and more effective ventilator.[111][112]
Supply chain issues[edit]
On 10 April the UK Government sent out a document to PPE suppliers informing them that suppliers of certain medical equipment, including protective masks, gloves and aprons, must be registered with the Care Quality Commission, which regulates all health and social care services in England only. There was not a similar agreement in place between suppliers and Care Inspectorate Wales or the Care Inspectorate of Scotland.[113][114] The Welsh Government advised care home providers that they should order through their local council, while Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price lodged a formal complaint with the European Union over the issue.[114] The manager of two care homes in Gwynedd, Wales was told by two suppliers that they would only sell to care homes in England.[115] The chief executive of the care home umbrella group Scottish Care said that the UK's four largest PPE suppliers had said they were not distributing to Scotland because their priority was going to be "England, the English NHS and then English social care providers".[116] The UK government reported that it had not instructed any company to prioritise PPE for any nation.[116] Healthcare supplier Gompels' website said at the time that "These restrictions are not something we have decided, they are a criteria [sic] given to us by Public Health England".[117]