New approach helping patients access oral surgery sooner
24 July 2026
Patients waiting for oral surgery treatment across North Wales are benefiting from faster access to care thanks to a new approach that is helping reduce waiting times and improve the overall patient experience.
Selected oral surgery procedures requiring a general anaesthetic from main hospital theatres are now being carried out at Tŷ Nerys, a dedicated outpatient facility located on the Glan Clwyd Hospital site.
The change is enabling 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 focused on patients who require oral surgery under general anaesthetic, including those with difficult tooth extractions, complex medical needs or significant dental anxiety. Patients must meet strict clinical criteria before being treated at Tŷ Nerys, including undergoing a Pre-Operative Assessment Clinic (POAC) review and attending with two chaperones on the day of their procedure to support their recovery and journey home following anaesthesia.
Among those to benefit is Natalie Marshall, from Penrhyn Bay, who recently underwent wisdom tooth removal at the unit.
She said: “Having my procedure at Tŷ Nerys was a much better experience than I expected. It felt much more relaxed and informal than being on a hospital ward, which can add to any anxiety you already have about treatment.”
Mr Oliver Suckley, Dentist with a special interest in oral surgery, said: “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.
“Feedback from patients has been extremely positive since we started carrying out procedures at Tŷ Nerys. The environment is more suitable for many patients and, because we are operating away from the main hospital theatre complex, we have experienced fewer cancellations caused by wider hospital pressures.
“Ultimately, this means more patients receiving the treatment they need sooner while also improving their overall experience.”
Dr James Dougherty, Consultant Anaesthetist, said: "From an anaesthetic perspective, Ty Nerys provides an excellent setting for carefully selected patients undergoing day-case procedures.
"The service has been developed with patient safety at its heart, with robust assessment processes in place before treatment and appropriate support arrangements following discharge. By delivering care in this setting, we can provide a high-quality patient experience while helping increase capacity for planned care services."
Mr Aderemi Alalade, Medical Director for the Central Integrated Health Community, said: “Mr Anil Kamisetty, Clinical Director of Surgery at Glan Clwyd Hospital, and I began developing plans for this initiative in the first quarter of last year (2025) following a GIRFT report and in response to the significant backlog we were facing. Working closely with Community Dental Services, under the leadership of Dr Raza Jaffery, we explored new ways of collaborating to enable patients to be seen more quickly and to help reduce waiting times.
“Together with colleagues from Infection Prevention and Control, Preoperative Assessment Clinic (POAC), Theatres, Nursing, Hospital Management Team and Day of Surgical Arrival Unit (DOSA), we are proud to have developed an excellent example of cross collaboration between primary, community and secondary care teams. Our ambition is to build on this model, further improving patient care and outcomes, while creating an approach that can be replicated across other specialties within the Health Board.”
Carol Shillabeer, Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: "This is an excellent example of teams working together in innovative ways to improve access to care and reduce waiting times for patients across North Wales.
"While we know there is still more work to do, we are continuing to make important progress in reducing the longest waits and increasing capacity across a range of specialties. Initiatives such as this demonstrate how we can use our facilities and expertise differently to improve the experience for patients and help them receive treatment sooner.
"Over the past year we have achieved a 62.8 per cent reduction in the number of patients waiting more than two years for planned treatment, while the number of patients waiting more than 52 weeks for a first outpatient appointment has reduced by more than 80 per cent. We are continuing to expand capacity through a range of measures, including the development of new facilities such as the North Wales Surgical Centre and targeted initiatives designed to tackle waiting lists.
"Every patient waiting for treatment matters to us and we remain focused on delivering sustainable improvements that help more people receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place."
The move forms part of the Health Board's wider programme of work to reduce waiting times, increase planned care capacity and improve patient experience across North Wales.