Welsh NHS waiting lists rise again — but ambulance handover times show marked improvement
The number of people waiting more than two years for NHS treatment in Wales has risen again, reaching 10,300 pathways in May — up 6.5% from the previous month. The overall waiting list now stands at 796,100 pathways, equivalent to nearly one in four people in Wales.
The figures have prompted criticism from opposition parties, with Welsh Conservatives accusing the Labour-led government of failing to meet its own targets. Shadow Health Secretary James Evans MS said the latest data “proves Labour’s health strategy is failing” and called for a health emergency to be declared to focus resources on reducing excessive waits.
Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS also condemned the figures, describing them as “a damning indictment of 25 years of Labour mismanagement in Wales.”
“These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet, they are real people left to suffer in pain, anxiety and fear. The Welsh Liberal Democrats are clear, we won’t solve the crisis in our NHS without first addressing the crisis in social care. That means ending bed blocking and also investing properly in primary care and GP services, ensuring illness is caught and treated early, not when it becomes an emergency.”
Ambulance handover times improve at Morriston and Royal Glamorgan hospitals
Despite the rise in long waits, the Welsh Government has pointed to significant improvements in ambulance patient handover times, particularly at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where delays fell by 70% in June compared to May. At Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant, handover times dropped by 87%, with nearly three-quarters of patients transferred within 15 minutes.
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles, who visited Royal Glamorgan on Thursday, said the figures show that “our focus on improving ambulance patient handover performance is working,” and praised staff for their efforts.
A national taskforce has been established to tackle handover delays across Wales, aiming to free up ambulance crews and improve emergency department flow. The Welsh Ambulance Service also introduced a new purple category for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests on 1 July, alongside revised triage categories for other urgent conditions.
Cancer treatment and emergency care pressures
In May, more than 1,900 people started cancer treatment, and over 14,200 were told they did not have cancer, as performance against the 62-day target improved to 61.3%. However, emergency departments remain under pressure, with June recording the third-highest daily attendances on record. More than 10,000 patients waited over 12 hours in A&E — still far from meeting government targets.
Miles acknowledged the setback in long waits but said they are now 85% lower than the peak, and expressed confidence that the next set of figures will show renewed progress.
Local health board variation
According to Welsh Government data, Swansea Bay and Powys health boards currently have no pathways waiting longer than two years, while Hywel Dda and Aneurin Bevan each have fewer than 300 such cases. In contrast, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board continues to report the highest number of long waits in Wales.
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