NHS waiting lists in Wales rise for fourth consecutive month

NHS waiting lists in Wales have increased for the fourth consecutive month. Official figures from July show just under 709,700 patient pathways waiting to start treatment, an increase of approximately 11,300 from June. Management information indicates that around 555,200 individual patients were waiting for treatment during that period.

Provisional data for August suggests the trend continued, with pathways reaching approximately 714,200. The number of pathways waiting more than two years rose to over 4,700. Additionally, more than 12,500 pathways have waited longer than one year for their first outpatient appointment.

Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor described the figures as “disappointing” and pledged to reset how planned care is delivered to ensure sustainability. While waiting lists for treatment have grown, emergency department data for August showed a slight decrease in daily attendances and a 6.3% drop in patients waiting 12 hours or more compared to July. However, only 63.8% of patients spent less than four hours in emergency departments, falling short of the Welsh Government's 95% target.