Welsh Government pledges to end two-year NHS waits and cut waiting list to pre-pandemic levels

Nation.Cymru staff

The Welsh Government has pledged to end two-year waits for planned NHS treatment and bring the overall waiting list back to pre-pandemic levels before the end of the current Senedd term.

Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor will set out a new approach on Thursday aimed at tackling the longest waits by increasing surgical capacity, speeding up diagnosis and changing the way referrals and follow-up appointments are handled.

The plans will be backed by £100m from an additional £145m being invested in NHS Wales during the current financial year.

A further £25m will go towards new surgical and diagnostic hubs, with £20m earmarked for maintenance across the NHS estate.

Under the plans, health boards will be expected to work together to tackle the longest waits and increase surgical capacity, including at weekends, in specialties facing the greatest pressures.

Referrals will also be reviewed earlier in an attempt to ensure patients receive the appropriate advice, tests or treatment without unnecessary delays.

The Welsh Government says changes to follow-up appointments could free up tens of thousands of slots for other patients.

Instead of automatically attending routine follow-ups they may no longer require, some patients will be able to contact services when they need further support.

Investment in scanning and testing capacity and digital technology is also intended to reduce the time between a patient being referred and receiving a diagnosis.

New standards will require patients who have been waiting longest to be treated next unless there is a clinical reason for somebody else to be prioritised.

The government says the changes are intended to reduce the overall NHS waiting list to its pre-pandemic level before the end of the current Senedd term.

Mr ap Gwynfor, who will visit Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny on Thursday, said: “Waiting two years for planned care is not acceptable. This investment is tied to Health Boards changing how they work, permanently, so the progress I expect to see doesn’t slip back as it has in the past. That’s the difference between a short-term fix and lasting change.

“Patients should receive timely advice, diagnosis and treatment through services that are designed around their needs, not around organisational boundaries.

“Alongside additional capacity, we are supporting changes that make services more sustainable, including better referral management, increased diagnostic capacity, more surgical hub activity and improved follow-up arrangements.

“None of this is possible without the hard work and expertise of NHS staff. Their leadership sits at the heart of this approach, and every Health Board must now work together to deliver further improvements for patients.”

Focus

NHS Wales national clinical directors of planned care and consultant surgeons Richard Egan and Ken Harries welcomed the emphasis on changing how services operate.

They said: “It’s particularly pleasing to see the clear focus on modernisation and sustainability.

“This approach can see the service transformation required to deliver high quality, prudent, and efficient care for the people of Wales.

“This investment will enable effective use of current capacity, the development of efficient surgical and diagnostic hubs, and significant reductions in waiting times.”

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