The significant funding from the Welsh Government’s supplementary budget will be key in tackling the NHS waiting list and waiting times, Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor has said.

£100m will support the NHS to bring down the waiting list and waiting times and £25m is being invested in new surgical and diagnostic hubs. A further £20m is being invested into essential maintenance across the NHS estate.

Latest NHS statistics published today show that in April - before the new Welsh Government took office - both the waiting list for NHS treatment and the longest waits increased.

There were just over 680,000 patient pathways waiting to start treatment in April and slightly under 3,700 pathways were waiting more than two years. There were 12,900 pathways waiting longer than one year for their first outpatient appointment.

The average time patients had been waiting for treatment at the end of April was just under 15 weeks, the lowest figure since March 2020.

The ambulance response time target threshold for the purple category - people experiencing a cardiac or respiratory arrest who need an ambulance immediately - was achieved but performance at emergency departments declined.

Plaid Cymru, Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor said: "Today’s statistics show again there are too many people waiting too long for treatment. I am also disappointed that emergency care performance is not yet at the level patients and staff rightly expect, and we are clear that faster improvement is required from health boards and partners.

“Our focus is clear - cut waiting times, prioritise those who have been waiting the longest, improve access to services and build an NHS that can keep up with demand in the long term.

Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, Mabon ap Gwynfor
Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, Mabon ap Gwynfor (Welsh Government)

“Funding provided by the previous Welsh Government for waiting lists was strictly time-limited up until March, and was based on purchasing additional and external activity, rather than having been invested in strengthening long-term elective care capacity.

“To bring waiting times down and keep them down, we need to change the way the NHS works - making sure patients move through the system more smoothly, from their first referral all the way to treatment.

“We've got a plan to do this, working with the fantastic NHS staff right across Wales. The £145 million we’re announcing today will be important in tackling the waiting list and waiting times and helping people be seen quicker.”