One in four people in Wales are on an NHS treatment waiting list, according to the latest figures
One in four people in Wales are on an NHS treatment waiting list, the latest figures reveal
The latest NHS statistics for Wales revealed NHS treatment waiting lists have increased to 796,100 pathways, the equivalent of nearly 1-in-4 Welsh people.
Two-year NHS waits for treatment have risen again to 10,300 in Wales, compared with only 158 in England.
The Labour Health Minister, now First Minister, Eluned Morgan promised to eliminate these waits by March 2023 and again by March 2024 - but has failed to meet these targets.
Ambulance red wait times remain a coin flip for patients, with only 50.7% of red calls - the most serious - receiving an emergency/ambulance response within eight minutes.
Brecon and Radnorshire Senedd Member James Evans MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care said: “The latest figures prove Labour’s health strategy is failing and the so-called progress they celebrated recently was just a flash in the pan.
“Progress is in reverse and it’s clear that this Welsh Government has run out of ideas.
“No one should be waiting over a year for treatment. That’s why the Welsh Conservatives would declare a health emergency, to ensure that resources and the efforts of the whole Government are targeted at reducing these excessive waits.”
The number of patient pathways increased from 790,020 in April to 796,100 in May – the equivalent of nearly 1-in-4 of the Welsh population.
Two-year waits are 10,300 in Wales, compared with only 158 in England.
The average (median) time patient pathways had been waiting for treatment at the end of May was 22 weeks, compared with 13.6 weeks in England.
Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS added: “The latest NHS performance figures are nothing short of a damning indictment of 25 years of Labour mismanagement in Wales.
“These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet, they are real people left to suffer in pain, anxiety and fear.
“The Welsh Liberal Democrats are clear, we won’t solve the crisis in our NHS without first addressing the crisis in social care. That means ending bed blocking and also investing properly in primary care and GP services, ensuring illness is caught and treated early, not when it becomes an emergency.”
