THE number of patients who endured waits of longer than 12 hours in A&E units in Gwent rose by more than 80 per cent during the six months to the end of October, compared to the same period last year.

The increase is revealed as the NHS in Wales prepares to for what is forecast to be a cold winter, which will only add to the extra seasonal pressures experienced on the hospital frontline.

During May to October 2015, 1,766 patients waited longer than 12 hours in A&E at either the Royal Gwent or Nevill Hall Hospital.

But during that six-month period this year, the figure was 3,217, an increase of 82.1 per cent.

Difficulties in A&E are not confined to Gwent, with all areas of Wales failing to hit the Welsh Government-set target - that a minimum 95 per cent of patients in A&E be dealt with inside four hours - for several years.

Health board winter plans across Wales contain proposals to ease the burden on A&E, but they all depend to a greater or lesser extent on the success of other initiatives in other parts of hospitals, not least those that help minimise delayed transfers of care at the other end of the hospital system, to enable beds to be made available.

The Royal Gwent Hospital will this year be able to utilise its expanded emergency department - including a new minor injuries unit - a £3.4 million scheme scheduled to open on Friday, December 23.

This is intended to improve communications and physical links between ‘majors’ and ‘minors’ areas.

But with pressure on emergency departments barely letting up during the year, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is bracing itself for an extremely busy time, both at the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall.

In October, 82.7 per cent of A&E patients at Nevill Hall were dealt with inside four hours. Despite being well short of the target, this was the third best performance in Wales.

But at the Royal Gwent, more than quarter of A&E patients waited longer than four hours.