A series of Welsh Conservative Freedom of Information requests have revealed that since the May 2021 Senedd election, where Labour formed yet another Welsh Government with the support of Plaid Cymru, 38,374 patients had died while waiting for NHS treatment.
The Labour Health Minister, now First Minister, Eluned Morgan promised to eliminate two-year waits for treatment for the last two years (by March 2023 and again by March 2024), but failed to meet these targets and still has not. In England, these long waits have been virtually eliminated.
In addition to this, since the 2021 Senedd election and the Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru, patient pathways in Wales have increased by almost a third.
In the Senedd next week, the Welsh Conservatives have brought forward a Senedd motion outlining our plan to fix Wales’ NHS, prevent more needless deaths, and reduce waiting lists.
This includes declaring a Health Emergency, guaranteeing one year maximum waits for treatment, and introducing a seven-day GP appointment wait guarantee.
Commenting ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Health and Social Care, James Evans MS, said:
“Labour, with routine support from Plaid Cymru, has broken the Welsh NHS. Since the last Senedd election, almost forty thousand patients have died while waiting for NHS treatment – it is a national scandal.
“The Welsh Labour Government, propped up by Plaid Cymru, has been consistently distracted with extreme, ideological vanity projects, like their default 20mph speed limit and creating more politicians, meanwhile they have ignored our NHS.
“Unlike Reform, the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to fix our Welsh NHS and reduce NHS waiting lists by guaranteeing one year maximum waits for treatment, and introducing a seven-day GP appointment wait guarantee.”
The motion which will be debated on Wednesday reads:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Reaffirms that the Welsh NHS should always remain free at the point of delivery, publicly funded, and not replaced by an insurance-based system.
2. Regrets that, since the 2021 Senedd election and the Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru:
a) over 38,000 Welsh people have died while waiting for NHS treatment; and
b) total patient pathways have increased by around a third.
3. Calls on the Welsh Government to prevent more needless deaths by:
a) declaring a health emergency to direct the resources and apparatus of the Welsh Government at cutting NHS waiting lists;
b) guaranteeing one year maximum waits for treatment;
c) introducing a seven-day GP appointment wait guarantee;
d) carrying out a comprehensive Welsh NHS recruitment and retention plan;
e) building more surgical hubs and expanding rapid diagnostic centres;
f) restoring patient choice in where they can access healthcare; and
g) launching a cancer action plan.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The debate in the Welsh Parliament is due to start around 5.30pm on Wednesday 24th September and can be watched online here.
- James Evans MS will be available for interview.
