HOSPITAL staff at the Royal Gwent had a simple message for Dr Gibbons: "We need more cash and better systems of care."

Doctors and nurses told Dr Gibbons the only answer to the current A&E crisis was to invest more money to make the system smoother and more patient-friendly.

Rajan Raghnpati, pictured above with Dr Gibbons, a consultant in A&E medicine at the Royal Gwent, said: "I think it has been useful for the minister to hear the problems first-hand from staff.

"We have told him there are several problems; an increasing workload, pressure on staff and the need to recruit and retain experienced staff.

"We also need to integrate care, patients need to be dealt with and discharged in a timely manner. The whole system needs to be speeded up."

One of the ways Mr Raghnpati told Mr Gibbons this could be done is by separating patients with minor injuries to be dealt with by nurse practitioners.

On January 7 both the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall hospitals were closed to all non-emergency patients as the winter bed-shortage reached a climax - one of the worst days A&E clinical nurse Karen Ramsey has seen.

She said: "We need more cash and better systems of care.

"The layout of the department is very difficult to work within so we need capital funding to make it more user friendly."

She also called for more doctors and nurses to be dedicated to minor injuries to ensure patients were seen quicker.