NHS waiting lists decline in Wales, but cancer treatment targets remain unmet

The number of people on an NHS waiting list in Wales has dropped for the second consecutive month.

However, as of January, more than 613,000 individuals were still waiting to begin their treatment.

This figure is down slightly on the previous month’s figure of 616,500.

The number of open patient pathways – which is different from the number of individuals on a waiting list – also decreased slightly for the second month in a row, falling from 800,400 in December to 796,800.

A further breakdown shows that the number of patient pathways waiting less than 26 weeks remained at 53.1% in January, while the number of pathways waiting longer than 36 weeks decreased to just under 284,000.

However this remains the third-highest figure on record.

Just under 21,100 pathways were waiting more than two years, more than two-thirds (70.1%) lower than the peak, and a decrease from the previous month.

Despite this, the Welsh Government is on track to miss its own ‘Planned Care Recovery Plan’ target to eliminate two-year waits in most specialities for the third year.

The target, due to be hit by March 2023, has never been achieved.

Ambulance response times

The Welsh Ambulance Service received 5,127 category red (immediately life threatening) calls in February – the equivalent of 17% of all calls.

An average of 183 immediately life-threatening calls were made each day, the fifth-highest on record.

A total of 51.1% of red calls received an emergency response within the eight minute target.

Picture: Welsh Government

Whilst this is an improvement on January, it still remains below the Welsh Government’s goal of 65% of life-threatening calls receiving a response within eight minutes.

The target has not been achieved since July 2020.

Handover delays at emergency departments are also continuing to hamper improvements, with around 19,000 hours lost in February alone.

Earlier this month Health Secretary Jeremy Miles confirmed that from 1 July, the Welsh Ambulance Service will move away from the existing time-based emergency response target.

This will see the introduction of a new purple category in a bid to help improve ambulance response times for those at risk of life-or-death cardiac and respiratory arrests.

Emergency department waiting times

More than 80,000 people attended an emergency department at a Welsh hospital during February – an average of 2,861 individuals a day.

95% patients are expected to spend less than four hours in the department from arrival until admission, transfer or discharge.

In North Wales, 60% of A&E attendees were seen within the target time, a slight improvement on the 58.5% recorded in the previous month.

Picture: The Welsh Government

At the Wrexham Maelor Hospital, 44% of patients were seen within four hours. This is a slight improvement on the 40% in January.

A total of 70.7% of patients at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital spent less than eight hours in the department, while 80.5 % spent less than 12.

Ysbyty Glan Clwyd recorded the lowest percentage against the four hour target at 42.2% – however, this is an improvement on the previous month’s 38.3%.

At Ysbyty Gwynedd this was 55.6%, a decrease from January.

Cancer waiting lists

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

But in January that figure stood at just 57.4%, a drop of 4.5% on the previous month.

It means that many people continue to face delays in starting their potentially life-saving treatment.

In January, 17,099 patient pathways were opened following a new suspicion of cancer.

This was an increase of 3,282 (23.8 %) on the previous month, and a rise of 1.7% compared to January 2024

Political response

James Evans MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care said that progress in improving NHS waiting times “remains too slow.

He said: “The Welsh Labour Government is neglecting cancer targets, with performance worsening considerably against the vital 62-day target for treatment.

“Progress remains far too slow for treatment lists and Eluned Morgan is set to miss her third annual target in a row for the longest waits.

“There should be no patients waiting over two years for treatment, as is practically the case in other parts of the UK.”

Mabon ap Gwynfor, the Plaid Cymru spokesperson on Health said that despite the improvements, the Welsh Government has “have presided over years on years of lengthening waiting lists.”

“After years of throwing money at ever-lengthening waiting lists, it’s clear that Labour have no plan, and no hope of getting to grips with waiting lists,” he said.

“Our NHS needs a fresh start, a fresh start with a Government that knows what they’re doing, that has a plan for waiting lists, and to reform the governance of our NHS to make it fit for the future, a Plaid Cymru Government.”

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles

However Health Secretary Jeremy Miles defending today’s figures, stating that the additional Welsh Government investment is helping to reduce waiting list times.

He said: “I am pleased to see further falls in the longest waits and the overall size of the waiting list.

“Two-year waits were almost 11% lower in February than in January and there were also reductions in the number of people waiting more than a year for a first outpatient appointment, and for diagnostic tests and for therapies.

“This shows that health board plans, which we have supported with £50m of additional investment, are having a positive impact on the longest waits.

“This is promising but we still have a long way to go to ensure people have timely access to planned care.

“The latest figures show urgent and emergency care services across Wales continue to be extremely busy, but performance improved again in February against key targets.

“Despite receiving the highest number of life-threatening 999 calls for any February on record, just over 51% of ambulances responded within eight minutes and the average ambulance response time was seven minutes and 52 seconds.

“And there was an improvement in the four and 12-hour performance at emergency departments.”