The latest NHS statistics for Wales revealed NHS treatment waiting list remain at 800,395 pathways.
Fewer than half (48.3%) of the most serious (red) calls received an emergency response within the eight minute target time.
Median waits for treatment have increased by 0.6 weeks to 23.6 weeks in Wales.
Responding, Andrew RT Davies MS, Senedd Member for South Wales Central and former Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said:
“People in Wales will take little solace in this downturn in patient pathways.
“After months and months of Labour’s NHS waiting lists reaching record highs, a small decrease is the first step in an incredibly long journey, and I have serious doubts that Labour have the focus to keep us on this path.
“If Labour could only drop their pet projects and distractions, Wales might have a Welsh Government fully and unshakably committed to working with staff to turn our NHS around.”
ENDS
Notes to editors: The latest statistics for waiting times can be found here and a link to the latest Welsh NHS performance summary can be found here (covering December 2024 and January 2025).
- The number of patient pathways decreased from 802,300 in November to 800,400 in December – the equivalent of over 1-in-4 of the Welsh population.
- The estimated number of patients is ~616,500 waiting for treatment in December.
- Two-year waits are 23,621 in Wales, compared with only 155 in England. The Labour Health Minister, now First Minister, Eluned Morgan promised to eliminate these waits by March 2023 and again by March 2024, but failed to meet these targets.
- The average (median) time patient pathways had been waiting for treatment at the end of November was 23.6 weeks (an increase of 0.6 on last month), compared with 14.2 weeks in England (a decrease on last month).
- Only 48.3% of red calls (the most serious) received an emergency/ambulance response within eight minutes in December, the same as in November.
- In December, the proportion of patients waiting less than 4 hours in Welsh emergency departments fell to 67.6 – the target is 95%.
- 10,387 patients waited 12 hours or more in Welsh emergency departments in December – the target is zero patients.
- Performance against the 62-day target for patients starting cancer treatment is now 61.9% as of November, well below the target of 75%.