Almost 600,000 (580,000) people are currently waiting for treatment in Wales, with overall patient pathways equal to almost 1 in 4 of the Welsh population. Over 5,200 pathways in Wales have been waiting more than two years to start treatment, yet that same number is only 223 in England – despite the population of England being around 18 times the size of Wales.
The latest health statistics have revealed a sharp rise in the number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E, as well as a decline in the performance of ambulances responding to Red calls.
Performance for cancer treatment and outcomes has been drastically below their own targets for the entirety of this Senedd. This Labour Welsh Government, with the support of Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, has pursued net-zero ambitions and virtue-signalling workforce interventions over getting to grips with the disastrously poor performance of our NHS and social care settings.
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 the Senedd this week, the Welsh Conservatives are calling on the Welsh Government to:
- Declare a national health emergency to trigger immediate action across the NHS and social care.
- Reopen closed community hospital wards to provide step-down and rehabilitation care, and improve patient flow.
- Review and increase hospital bed capacity and surge provision.
- Establish a dedicated NHS Wales recovery team to drive improvements in waiting times and emergency care performance.
- End the practice of corridor care and designate 12-hour waits in emergency departments as never events.
- Improve recruitment, retention and training of doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives.
- Expand surgical hubs and diagnostic capacity to reduce waiting lists. Improve access to GP services, including seven-day appointment availability.
- Publish a long-term workforce and infrastructure plan to modernise the NHS and social care system in Wales.
Commenting ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Health and Social Care, Peter Fox MS, said:
“Labour’s health strategy is failing in real time - waiting lists are growing, emergency care is deteriorating, and patients are paying the price.
“After 27 years of Labour, propped up by Plaid Cymru, running the Welsh NHS, excuses are no longer good enough.
“The Welsh Conservatives have a clear and credible plan to restore performance, cut waiting times and deliver the timely care people across Wales deserve.”
The motion which will be debated on Wednesday reads:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Notes:
a) the continuing pressures on the NHS in Wales, including excessive waiting times for
treatment, ambulance response delays, overcrowded emergency departments, and the use of
corridor care;
b) concerns raised by clinicians and patients regarding patient safety and capacity across the
Welsh health and social care system; and
c) the need for urgent, system-wide action to restore performance and public confidence.
2. Regrets that, after 27 years of Welsh Labour Government, NHS performance in Wales
remains among the worst in the United Kingdom for waiting times and access to treatment.
3. Believes that the scale of the challenge requires an emergency response to increase
capacity, improve patient flow and strengthen resilience across health and social care services.
4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:
a) declare a national health emergency to trigger immediate action across the NHS and social
care;
b) reopen closed community hospital wards to provide step-down and rehabilitation care, and
improve patient flow;
c) review and increase hospital bed capacity and surge provision;
d) establish a dedicated NHS Wales recovery team to drive improvements in waiting times
and emergency care performance;
e) end the practice of corridor care and designate 12-hour waits in emergency departments as
never events;
f) improve recruitment, retention and training of doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives;
g) expand surgical hubs and diagnostic capacity to reduce waiting lists;
h) improve access to GP services, including seven-day appointment availability; and
i) publish a long-term workforce and infrastructure plan to modernise the NHS and social care
system in Wales.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The debate in the Welsh Parliament is due to start around 4.30pm on Wednesday 25th February and can be watched online here.
- Peter Fox MS is available for interview.
