July 24, 2026 - 211 views
Patients waiting for oral surgery across North Wales are receiving treatment sooner thanks to a new approach by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board that is reducing waiting times and improving the patient experience.
Selected oral surgery procedures requiring a general anaesthetic are now being carried out at Tŷ Nerys, a dedicated outpatient facility near Glan Clwyd Hospital, rather than in the main hospital theatres.
The move is allowing more patients to be treated in a calmer, more relaxed environment while reducing the risk of cancellations caused by pressures on acute hospital services.
The service is designed for carefully selected patients who require oral surgery under general anaesthetic, including those needing difficult tooth extractions, people with complex medical conditions and patients with significant dental anxiety. Strict clinical criteria apply, with patients undergoing a pre-operative assessment before treatment and attending with two chaperones on the day of surgery to support their recovery.
Among those to benefit is Natalie Marshall, from Penrhyn Bay, who recently had her wisdom teeth removed at the unit.
She said the experience was "much better" than she had expected, describing the environment as more relaxed and less intimidating than a hospital ward.
Mr Oliver Suckley, a dentist with a special interest in oral surgery, said the initiative was helping tackle long waits for treatment across North Wales.
"We know that patients across North Wales face long waits for oral surgery treatment, and we hope this initiative will play a part in helping to treat those patients who have been waiting the longest sooner," he said.
He added that patient feedback had been extremely positive and that operating away from the main theatre complex had led to fewer cancellations caused by wider hospital pressures.
Consultant anaesthetist Dr James Dougherty said Tŷ Nerys provides an excellent setting for carefully selected day-case patients, with robust assessment processes ensuring patient safety while increasing capacity for planned care.
The initiative was developed following a national Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) review and brings together teams from community dental services, surgery, theatres, nursing, infection prevention and hospital management.
Mr Aderemi Alalade, Medical Director for the Central Integrated Health Community, said the project demonstrated how closer collaboration between primary, community and secondary care teams could improve patient care while creating a model that could be replicated in other specialties.
Health Board Chief Executive Carol Shillabeer said the scheme was an example of innovative working to improve access to treatment.
She said Betsi Cadwaladr had reduced the number of patients waiting more than two years for planned treatment by 62.8 per cent over the past year, while waits of more than 52 weeks for a first outpatient appointment had fallen by more than 80 per cent.
She added that the Health Board would continue expanding planned care capacity through projects including the North Wales Surgical Centre and other initiatives aimed at reducing waiting lists.
The new oral surgery service forms part of the Health Board's wider programme to cut waiting times, increase capacity and improve patient care for people across North Wales.
