NHS waiting lists in Wales continue to worsen

NHS waiting lists across Wales continue to worsen with more than 615,000 patients now waiting to start treatment.

New figures released by the Welsh government on Thursday (23 August) also show another record high for open patient pathways.

In June the number increased from just over 787,900 to just over 791,500 – the highest figure on record.

The number of patient pathways is not the same as the number of individual patients, because some people have multiple open pathways.

However a record high of 615,300 individual patients are waiting to start treatment.

The length of time many patients are waiting to start treatment also rose in June.

As part of the Welsh Government’s own ‘Planned Care Recovery Plan’ two year waits in most specialities should have been eliminated by March 2023.

However this target has never been met.

Just over 23,400 pathways were waiting more than two years. Whilst this is two thirds (66.7%) lower than the peak this is the third increase from the previous month after falling for twenty-four consecutive months.

Meanwhile the number of pathways waiting longer than 36 weeks increased in June, to just under 271,900, the highest figure on record.

Calls to the ambulance service

Just under 35,800 emergency calls were made to the ambulance service in July.

Of these 14.5 per cent were classed as category red / immediately life-threatening. An average of 167 red calls were made per day in July.

In terms of response times, just 48.2 per cent of red calls were attended within eight minutes.

This is below the Welsh Government target of 65 per cent of immediately threatening calls receiving a response.

At a Local Health Board level, the highest proportion of red calls responded to within eight minutes was seen in Cardiff and Vale (56.0%), and the lowest in Cwm Taf Morgannwg (40.4%).

In north Wales around 45 per cent of immediately life-threatening calls received a response within the target time.

According to the Welsh government the number of red calls responded to within eight minutes has fallen from a peak of 80 per cent in 2017.

This fall has been put down to a rise in life-threatening calls, changes in how calls are handled and delayed handover times.

Emergency departments

Across Wales there was an average of 3,128 daily attendances to emergency departments last month.

Just under 15,200 patients were admitted to the same or a different hospital following attendance at major emergency departments.

This was 5.1 per cent higher than the previous month but 1.5 per cent lower than the same month in 2023.

The Welsh government has a target of 95 per cent of patients at an emergency department being seen within four hours.

However in July just 69.3 per cent off patients in all NHS emergency departments spent less than four hours in the department from arrival until admission, transfer or discharge.

In Wrexham 52.5 per cent of patients spent less than four hours in the Maelor’s emergency department.

71.1 per cent of attendees spent less than eight hours in the department and 80.8 per cent less than 12 hours.

Ysbyty Glan Clwyd was the worst performing emergency department against the four hour target, with just 41.9 per cent of attendees seen within four hours.

Cancer

At least 75 per cent of patients should start treatment within 62 days (without suspensions) of first being suspected of cancer.

In June just 1,786 people started their first definitive treatment in June – this was 14 fewer than the previous month.

56.7 per cent of pathways started their first definitive treatment within 62 days of first being suspected of cancer.

This was 1.3 percentage points higher than the previous month, and 1.9 percentage points higher than June 2023.

However this is still far below the Welsh government’s own target.

14,600 pathways were closed following the patient being informed they did not have cancer. This is an increase of 2.4% compared to the previous month.

Kate Seymour, Head of Advocacy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said it was “unacceptable” that patients were waiting for treatment.

“New figures from NHS Wales show despite the best efforts of hardworking healthcare professionals too many people are waiting too long for the diagnosis and treatment that they need. This is unacceptable,” said Kate Seymour.

“As former health secretary, our new First Minister, Eluned Morgan, is no stranger to the challenges facing cancer care in Wales.

“We sincerely hope she will now work closely with the new Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Mark Drakeford, to deliver on the commitments the Welsh Government made over two years ago to transform cancer care.

“Chief among these are improvements to cancer services and a clear focus to tackle long cancer waiting times ensuring everyone affected by cancer, no matter who they are or where they live, will be able to access support that meets their needs.

Opposition response

Today’s figures are the first to be released under Eluned Morgan’s tenure as first minister.

However the worsening waiting times had been overseen by Ms Morgan during her time as health secretary,

Plaid Cymru have called for a “radical rethink in approach” to dealing with the problems facing the NHS.

The party’s spokesperson on Health and Social Care, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, said: “There is a disappointing inevitability of failing to get to grips with NHS waiting times month after month, and this set of results published today is no different, with waiting times at their highest ever.

“While Labour in Wales has been too focused on internal fighting, the new First Minister has left a legacy of at least 615,300 individual patients on treatment waiting lists.

“She promised to eliminate waiting lists but failed. A damning record for the new First Minister of Wales.

“A radical rethink in approach is needed. Plaid Cymru has been consistent in our calls – we need a clear strategy from Welsh Government that starts with admitting there is a problem in the first place.”

Sam Rowlands MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister said: “These woeful statistics show the NHS is in crisis as waits have increased to new records for five months in a row.

“The Labour Welsh Government have failed yet again to bear down on these excessive lists, which begs the question: Since Eluned Morgan was Labour’s health minister, how can she be trusted to turn this situation around as First Minister?

“The Welsh Conservatives believe it is past due for Labour to spend every penny they receive for health on the Welsh NHS, as opposed to prioritising the creation of 36 more politicians.”

Welsh government response

Former first minister and newly appointed health secretary Mark Drakeford MS said it was “disappointing that the number of people waiting more than two years for treatment has increased.”

Mr Drakeford said: “High-quality, life-saving and life-changing care is provided every day by hard-working NHS staff all over Wales in the face of continued and unrelenting demand on services.

“I am pleased to see the number of people who received the good news they do not have cancer increased in June, and performance against the 62-day target improved to 56.7%.

“However, there is still more health boards need to do to meet the national cancer target.

“In emergency care, demand remains very high. The number of immediately life-threatening (red) 999 calls to the ambulance service made each day was the fourth highest on record in July, and attendances at emergency departments continue to be above the long-term average.

“Performance against the four-hour A&E target improved, and the average time people spent in emergency departments before being discharged, admitted to hospital or transferred also fell in July.

“However, it is disappointing that the number of people waiting more than two years for treatment has increased and there’s been further growth in the overall waiting list – just as there has been in other parts of the UK.

“We have been very clear with health boards that we expect to see a focus on reducing long waiting times. We will continue to support the NHS to improve the timeliness of planned and emergency care.”