NHS waiting lists hit 800,000 after seven record-breaking months

The latest NHS statistics for Wales have revealed the number of people waiting for treatment has increased to over 800,000 for the first time.

This is the highest level on record for the seventh consecutive month.

NHS Wales says the pandemic is the cause for a large increase in patient pathways waiting to start treatment.

In August the number increased from just over 796,600 to just under 800,200 for the first time ever.

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

Information suggests that in July, when there were just under 800,200 open patient pathways, there were about 619,200 individual patients on treatment waiting lists in Wales – the highest figure on record.

The proportion of patient pathways waiting less than 26 weeks decreased to 54.1% in August.

The number of pathways waiting longer than 36 weeks increased in August, to just under 284,600 – the highest figure on record.

Just under 24,200 pathways were waiting more than two years – almost two thirds (65.6%) lower than the peak but the fifth increase from the previous month after falling for twenty-four consecutive months.

‘Broken’

The Welsh Conservatives say Labour in Wales have failed to prioritise the NHS.

Shadow Health Minister Sam Rowlands said: “As NHS waiting lists continue to soar, Labour has proven itself as the party of broken promises.

“The additional cash that Baroness Morgan is pleading for will be too little too late and is a testament to Labour’s failure to prioritise the Welsh NHS.

“Crucially, any cash won’t be coupled with the vital reforms or long-term thinking we need to bear down on these excessive waits.

“Only the Welsh Conservatives have a plan to roll out surgical, diagnostic and care hubs to ease the pressure on hospitals and to recruit and retain healthcare workers with a tuition fee refund.”

Interventions

The Welsh Government today announced an extra £28m to help health boards cut the longest waits.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles said: “This new funding will pay for more evening and weekend appointments, high volume clinics and regional working to target the longest waits in specialties such as orthopaedics, ophthalmology, general surgery and gynaecology.

“These interventions will have a significant impact for people waiting for treatment, tests and outpatient appointments and I look forward to seeing these monthly referral to treatment time figures improve as today’s investment is reflected in NHS performance.

“Despite record levels of demand across the sector, today’s figures show some progress in both diagnostics and therapies, as well as performance against the 62-day cancer target increasing to 56.5%.

“Urgent and emergency care services continue to be under great pressure, with the second highest daily numbers of ‘red’ (immediately life threatening) calls reported on record and sustained pressure at emergency departments.

Impact

He added: “However, the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust responded to the second highest number of people in the red category in eight minutes on record.

“And although activity at emergency care facilities remains close to record levels, admissions to hospital were more than 5% lower than at the same time last year, suggesting plans to support more people to avoid a stay in hospital are having an impact.

“We recognise more work needs to be done to support people with urgent care needs in the community and to improve timeliness of discharge home to help reduce long stays in ambulances and in emergency departments themselves.

“Our Help Us to Help You campaign supports people to get the right care at the right time from the right service.”