NHS waiting lists still high – but Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda avoid worst delays

The latest figures show just under 793,100 patient pathways in July – the equivalent of more than 600,000 people waiting for treatment. That’s a slight fall compared with June, but the number of people waiting more than two years rose again to just over 8,000.

In Swansea Bay University Health Board, which covers Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, no patients are waiting more than two years for treatment or more than a year for a first outpatient appointment. In Hywel Dda University Health Board, covering Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, fewer than 1% of patients are waiting that long.

By contrast, other parts of Wales still have significant backlogs.

What the numbers show

• Around 56.6% of patients were waiting less than 26 weeks in July – a small improvement.
• About 265,700 people had been waiting more than 36 weeks (nine months). That’s roughly one in three of everyone on the list.
• Nearly 73,200 people were waiting more than a year for a first outpatient appointment – up slightly on June, but still well below the peak in 2022.
• The number waiting more than two years is 88% lower than the peak in March 2022, but has crept up again in recent months.

Political row over figures

The publication of the statistics has sparked a row after the Welsh Government began releasing provisional data a month earlier than the official figures, which normally have a seven‑week lag.

Opposition parties say the change is designed to make Labour look better ahead of next May’s Senedd election. Welsh Conservative health spokesman James Evans MS said:

“These figures represent yet another abysmal failure by the Welsh Labour Government, the longest waits are rising and progress is being lost yet again.”

Andrew RT Davies MS, former leader of the Welsh Conservatives, added:

“Patients across Wales will be deeply frustrated by the evaporation of progress on the longest waits in our NHS.”

Plaid Cymru’s health spokesman Mabon ap Gwynfor called the change in reporting:

“a clear attempt to manipulate the figures by Labour in the hope that they will look better immediately before an election.”

The Welsh Government denies this, saying there is “considerable public interest” in more timely data and that the move has been welcomed by the UK’s official statistics watchdog.

Government response

Welsh Health Secretary Jeremy Miles pointed to signs of improvement, highlighting that more people than ever are starting cancer treatment and that long waits are far below their peak.

He said:

“This month, 15,000 extra outpatient appointments are being provided across Wales which shows how we are increasing activity all over the country to ensure people are being seen quicker. I remain confident we will see a significant reduction in long waits by the end of the second quarter.”

Emergency and cancer care

The wider NHS remains under pressure:

• In August, just 65.4% of patients were seen within four hours in A&E, well below the 95% target. More than 10,400 people waited over 12 hours.
• Ambulance response times for the most urgent “purple” calls averaged 7 minutes 15 seconds, within target, but “red” emergencies averaged 9 minutes 15 seconds, outside the target.
• In July, 2,301 people started cancer treatment – the highest figure on record. But only 61% began treatment within the 62‑day target, short of the 75% benchmark.

What it means for our area

For people in Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda, the picture is mixed. The longest waits have been cleared or kept to a minimum, but thousands are still waiting months for treatment.

While politicians argue over targets and statistics, patients like those in Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire continue to face delays that can mean living with pain or uncertainty. One retired teacher from Ystalyfera told the BBC he paid £7,500 for a hip replacement in Lithuania after being told he faced a three‑year wait on the NHS.

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