THE decision to postpone medical services across Gwent on the day of the Queen's funeral next week has been met with condemnation.

Her Majesty's state funeral will be held in London on Monday, September 19.

The day has been declared a bank holiday and many services will close to allow people to pay their respects.

In Gwent, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) have said it will be postponing "all planned appointments and clinics" on the day of the funeral.

"However, some patients may be contacted due to the urgency of their appointment to proceed if agreed with patients and the teams," a spokesperson for the health board added.

Despite this guarantee, the decision has been met with a backlash from some quarters, with one Argus reader going so far as to brand it "disgusting".

The health board in Gwent has been experiencing extreme pressures in recent times, as the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic continues to bite.

Accounts of long waits at the hospital doors, and queues of ambulances outside, have led some Argus readers to question whether everything was running smoothly.

Earlier this year, in a social media post, the health board said its emergency department at The Grange hospital was extremely busy and that bed space was in short supply.

“We have seen a record number of attendances, and waits to see a doctor, in some cases, are greater than 14 hours where the patients condition isn’t life threatening,” the statement read.

The Argus has reported on many cases of patients having to wait for hours to be seen including a heart patient faced with an eight-hour wait and a woman whose husband contacted us part-way through her 20+ hour wait at the same hospital.

Monmouth MP David Davies has made repeated calls for the Welsh Government to launch an independent public inquiry to examine healthcare failings affecting Monmouthshire after a catalogue of incidents.

However, health minister Eluned Morgan has refused to hold a public inquiry – stating it is the responsibility of Aneurin Bevan University Heath Board, the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust and partners to ensure patients receive a “safe and timely access to assessment and treatment”.

Mr Davies since accused Ms Morgan of "washing her hands" of the crisis.

The most recent news of postponements, has been met with similar backlash among Argus readers.

Tarik Yasin asked whether the move was "some kind of joke".

Another reader, Gemma Murray, slammed the decision as "disgusting".

There were some in support of the decision, however, with Pauline Jones saying the postponement of healthcare was "right, proper and respectful".

Another commenter on the Argus website said: "Would the late Queen Elizabeth II have wanted this to happen?

"I very much doubt that she would have."