Two-year treatment waits fall 79% as health board targets further reductions

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

The number of patients waiting more than two years for treatment in north Wales has fallen by 79% in a year, with the health board aiming to reduce the figure to almost zero by next April.

Despite the drop, there are still around 2,200 patients who have been waiting for treatment at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board since at least 2024.

BCUHB Finance Director Russell Caldicott- standing in at the latest board meeting for Chief Executive Carol Shillabeer – told members that by the end of the financial year that number will be closing in on zero.

“We’re now at about 2,200 patients waiting,” he said. “We were at nearly 13,000 at one point.

“That is a dramatic improvement for us. We have secured additional resources that will substantially reduce that number still further so we are anticipating having very close to zero – maybe 250 – patients waiting by the close of the financial year.”

While the longest waits are falling dramatically, in general patient waiting lists in North Wales rose by around 4,000 between April and July – reversing a trend which saw them fall by over 23,000 in the previous 12 months.

BCUHB says it remains disproportionately responsible for the longest referral to treatment waiting lists in Wales. While it has been making progress in some areas it described its position as ‘fragile’.

The board has brought down the number of people waiting more than eight weeks for diagnostic tests by 66% in the first five months of 2026, reducing those waiting from 21,800 to 7,322.

Meanwhile the number of patients waiting a year for their first outpatient appointment has dropped from around 30,000 to 4,000.

BCUHB has also improved its cancer diagnosis pathway, increasing the percentage of patients assessed within 62 days from 55% to 57.1% – however this remains far short of Welsh Government’s 75% national target.

“Cancer performance is very challenged across NHS Wales,” said Mr Caldicott. “The national average is 60% so we are close.

“It is not the 75% criteria we would all want to be achieving of course so cancer is a key area of focus for us.”

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