Almost 89,000 patients have received treatment in corridors or other non-clinical areas at hospitals run by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board over the past three years, according to figures revealed by the Welsh-language current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar.

The programme reported that between 2022 and the end of October 2025, tens of thousands of patients were treated in corridors or similar areas due to pressure on hospital services across North Wales.

Data highlighted that patients at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd spent the longest average time receiving corridor care last year, with patients treated in such conditions for almost 10 hours on average.

The investigation also revealed that the single longest period a patient spent in a corridor was at Ysbyty Gwynedd in 2024, where one patient remained there for more than five days.

The figures have prompted renewed debate about pressures facing hospitals across North Wales and the wider Welsh NHS, with growing demand for emergency care and limited bed capacity often cited as contributing factors.

Commenting on the findings, Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, described corridor care as “an unacceptable practice”.

“Corridor care is an unacceptable practice and puts patients at risk of harm,” he said.

He added that the health board had been in special measures for several years and said improvements were needed to reduce pressure on emergency departments.

Also responding, Peter Fox, the party’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said the figures reflected wider pressures across the health service.

“Waiting lists are rising, emergency care is deteriorating, and corridor care is becoming a grim symbol of a system under strain,” he said.

Health services across Wales have faced increasing demand in recent years, particularly in emergency departments, with hospitals often experiencing significant pressures during busy periods.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which provides healthcare services for around 700,000 people across North Wales, has been under special measures by the Welsh Government since 2015, with efforts ongoing to improve performance and patient care across its hospitals.