HEALTH and social care services in Gwent face “significantly more challenging” pressures in the coming months, including a “resurgent” flu virus and an “unprecedented” staffing shortfall.

The region’s major medical and local government agencies warn this will be the “toughest-ever winter” for hospitals, care homes and at-home care services in South East Wales.

In an appeal to the community, the Gwent Regional Partnership Board has encouraged people to “check in on” elderly and vulnerable relatives and neighbours because there are only “limited” social care resources, which must be focused on the most urgent cases.

The board’s pleas come during a rocky period for services here and further afield, when many frontline workers in healthcare and other sectors have resorted to strike action over long-standing disputes with government over pay and conditions.

Hospitals, meanwhile, have struggled to clear the backlog of treatments suspended during the pandemic, and bed-blocking continues to cause problems in healthcare, with patients on wards often unable to return home because of delays in social care, creating a domino effect which builds up at the front doors of hospitals like the Grange.

“We know that people in Gwent are rightly concerned about the availability of, and delays to, health and social care services in the region and it’s important that we recognise that the coming months are going to be significantly more challenging,” the regional partnership board said.

“There is a significant increase in the number of people in Gwent requiring services and we have unprecedented staffing challenges in respect of a depleted workforce to provide these services.”

It has asked people to “help us in the first instance” and reduce demand on services.

“Look out for, and check in on, family members and neighbours - particularly those who are frail, vulnerable or living on their own,” the board said. “If you can support your family members, we would ask that you do this as the limited social care resources need to be targeted at those in greatest need.

“At this time it is more important than ever that we come together as a community to make sure people are kept safe, warm, nourished.”

The board also encouraged people to use the NHS 111 symptom checker if they are ill, and to take up invitations for flu and Covid-19 booster vaccines when eligible.

The board also said it had “seen examples in recent weeks of people taking out their frustrations by being aggressive or rude to members of staff, but this is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated - we would appeal to people to be kind to these people whose lives are centred around caring for others".

The Gwent Regional Partnership Board includes Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Gwent’s five local authorities, and the Welsh Ambulance Service.