Only 63% of patients were dealt with within four hours in June, while treatment waiting lists and ambulance response times also worsened

A&E PERFORMANCE in Wales has fallen to its lowest recorded level, prompting renewed political pressure on the Welsh Government over waiting lists, ambulance response times and delays in cancer treatment.

Official figures show that 63% of patients attending emergency departments in June were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

The figure was the lowest on record and remained well below the Welsh Government’s 95% target.

Performance was worse in major emergency departments, where fewer than half of patients, 49%, completed their visit within four hours.

A total of 11,826 people spent 12 hours or longer in Welsh emergency departments during June. This was the second-highest monthly figure recorded and an increase from 11,066 in May.

June also saw the highest number of emergency department attendances recorded for that month.

Treatment waiting list rises

The number of referral-to-treatment pathways waiting to begin treatment increased from 680,003 in April to 689,721 in May.

A patient may appear on more than one pathway if they are waiting for treatment for separate conditions, meaning the figure does not represent 689,721 individual people.

The estimated number of individual patients waiting nevertheless increased from around 536,500 to 542,600.

The number of pathways waiting longer than two years rose from 3,694 in April to 4,208 in May, an increase of around 14%.

There was also a rise in pathways waiting longer than a year, from 96,409 to 97,590.

Cancer performance remained below the national target. In May, 57.1% of patients started their first definitive treatment within 62 days of cancer being suspected, compared with the Welsh Government target of 75%.

Ambulance response times deteriorate

Ambulance response times for serious calls also worsened during June.

The median response time for red calls, involving immediately life-threatening conditions, increased to nine minutes and 32 seconds. The time in which 90% of red calls received a response was 23 minutes and 15 seconds.

Orange calls, which can include suspected strokes and other serious but not immediately life-threatening conditions, had a median response time of one hour, 29 minutes and ten seconds.

The longest 10% of orange-call waits exceeded six hours and 14 minutes.

Conservatives blame Plaid government

The Welsh Conservatives said the results showed that the pressures facing the NHS were continuing to deepen.

Shadow Cabinet Minister for Health and Social Care Natasha Asghar MS accused Plaid Cymru of attempting to distance itself from problems that developed under previous Welsh Labour governments.

Plaid supported a number of Labour budgets during the previous Senedd and entered a formal co-operation agreement with Labour between 2021 and 2024, although it was not responsible for running the health department during that period.

Ms Asghar said: “A&E performance has fallen to its lowest level on record, while the number of people enduring waits of 12 hours or more has reached the second-highest figure ever recorded.

“Cancer performance remains well below target, waiting lists have significantly increased and ambulance response times for the most serious red calls have once again deteriorated.

“Plaid Cymru cannot escape responsibility for this. They supported the previous Welsh Labour Government’s budgets and are now running the health service. Patients need urgent action, not more empty promises.”

The Welsh Conservatives renewed their call for the Government to declare a health emergency, increase hospital capacity and introduce a new NHS workforce strategy.

The party also called for a more detailed plan to reduce treatment waiting lists and relieve pressure on emergency departments.

Government says results are unacceptable

Cabinet Minister for Health and Care Mabon ap Gwynfor acknowledged that the figures were “disappointing and unacceptable”.

He said the Government’s immediate priority was to reduce the backlog inherited from the previous administration and ensure that patients who had waited longest were treated first.

Mr ap Gwynfor said: “Too many people are waiting for treatment, and they are waiting too long.

“We have a plan to tackle this which will deliver the real change the people of Wales need to see and that they rightly deserve.”

The minister said the Government intended to develop clinically led surgical hubs to increase capacity and prevent planned operations being disrupted by emergency pressures.

The new administration has proposed an additional £145 million for NHS Wales during the current financial year. This includes £100 million to increase planned-care activity and £25 million in capital funding for surgical and diagnostic hubs.

However, the supplementary budget containing the additional funding had not been approved by the Senedd when the latest figures were published.

Mr ap Gwynfor also said prolonged hot weather had contributed to increased emergency department attendances in June, adding further pressure to NHS and social care services.

He highlighted improved performance for the most serious purple-category ambulance calls, involving patients experiencing a cardiac or respiratory arrest. The response target for those calls had been met consistently over the previous 12 months.

Surgeons call for cross-party action

The Royal College of Surgeons of England said the figures demonstrated the need for increased surgical capacity and greater certainty over NHS funding.

Professor Jon Barry, the college’s director in Wales, said staff were working tirelessly but warned that lasting improvement would require expanded capacity and reliable resources.

He called on political parties to work together, saying that behind every waiting-list statistic was a patient whose life had been placed on hold.

The college said the principle of creating more surgical hubs had attracted support from parties across the political spectrum during the Senedd election.

Problems pre-date new administration

The latest figures cover the opening months of the new Plaid Cymru administration.

The planned-treatment and cancer figures relate to May, when the new Government had only recently taken office, while the A&E and ambulance figures cover June.

Many of the underlying problems, including lengthy treatment waits, missed A&E targets and pressure on ambulance services, developed over several years under successive Welsh Labour governments.

Plaid Cymru can therefore argue that it inherited a health service already facing serious difficulties. However, as the party now controls the health portfolio, attention will increasingly turn to whether its additional funding, surgical hubs and promised reforms deliver measurable improvements for patients.

Cabinet Minister for Health and Care

Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor said: “My immediate priority is clear – cut the waiting list backlog inherited from the previous Government, help those who have been waiting longest, and build an NHS here in Wales that can stand strong for generations to come.

“Today’s statistics are disappointing and unacceptable. Too many people are waiting for treatment, and they are waiting too long. We have a plan to tackle this which will deliver the real change the people of Wales need to see and that they rightly deserve.

“We’re doing things differently to previous approaches. Through our clinically-led surgical hub programme we will strengthen local capacity, get patients treated quicker and ensure that elective care demand is managed more sustainably within day-to-day NHS activity. We are committed to delivering our investment to support waiting list reductions this year.

“June saw the highest number of emergency department attendances recorded for that month. Prolonged hot weather led to more people turning up with heat-related issues, adding further pressure on health and care services. Sustained year-round preparedness is vital to anticipate seasonal risks such as heatwaves, and this Government will work closely with our partners to deliver it consistently. We have already begun preparations for expected winter pressures.

“Meanwhile, the response time target for the ambulance service to respond to patients in the purple category – those experiencing a cardiac or respiratory arrest who need an ambulance immediately – has been met consistently for the past 12 months which I am pleased about.

“I want to recognise the incredible people working in our NHS and social care. Every single day, they show up and give everything they have – often under enormous pressure. Their dedication and compassion is something we should all be proud of. Thank you for everything you continue to do.”

PLANS to convert a vacant former coffee shop next to a Pembrokeshire seaside town’s Sainsbury’s supermarket to healthcare clinic have been approved.

In an application before Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Tenby Health Ltd, sought permission for a change of use of the former The Grind coffee shop, Supermarket Complex, Unit 3, Upper Park Road, Tenby to a private musculoskeletal healthcare clinic.

Tenby Town council recommended approval, saying: “Whilst councillors are disappointed in loss of retail, retail businesses have failed in the past. It will be good to have the space utilised and diversification may last longer,” adding it did not want empty units in the town.

Tenby Civic Society said: “Members of the executive committee felt these units have had a chequered history in retail use, and note that much needed renovation and re-marketing of the units has produced some new users whose lower footfall seems appropriate, though the issue of loss of retail use is disappointing.”

It did raise concern about the potential use of privacy film to the windows and prominent signage, which could affect the appearance of the courtyard, requesting that details of any such treatments be secured.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “The applicant is Tenby Health Ltd, a private musculoskeletal (MSK) healthcare clinic incorporated in Wales and operated by directors Hannah and Ben Horne. Ben is the sole practising clinician. The clinic provides the following services: chiropractic care, diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging, shockwave therapy, rehabilitation, and exercise-based programmes.

“Tenby Health serves both the resident population of Tenby and the surrounding area, as well as visitors to the national park.”

It added: “The clinic will operate on an appointment-only basis during regular working hours. Patient numbers at any one time will be limited to those attending individual appointments.

“The low-intensity, appointment-based nature of the clinic means there will be no material increase in noise, disturbance, or activity at the site compared to the previous use. Opening hours will be limited to typical daytime business hours.”

An officer report, recommending approval, said the concerns raised by Tenby Civic Society were acknowledged, but the current application sought permission solely for the change of use of the premises and associated internal alteration, with no changes mentioned by the society forming part of the application.

Of the scheme itself, it said: “The site forms part of an established commercial complex adjacent to Sainsbury’s supermarket and Tenby’s multi-storey public car park, where commercial activity is an established characteristic of the area.

“Given the nature of the proposed use, together with its location within an existing commercial environment, the development is not considered likely to give rise to unacceptable impacts in respect of noise, disturbance, overlooking, loss of privacy, odour or visual intrusion.”

The application was conditionally approved.

Final decision on proposals, including a central 24-hour stroke unit at Glangwili and treat-and-transfer services at Withybush, is expected in November

MORE than 3,000 people have taken part in discussions over the future of stroke services across west Wales as an eight-week public consultation by Hywel Dda University Health Board comes to an end.

The consultation, which closed on Sunday, July 26, examined proposals that could see specialist acute stroke care concentrated at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.

Under the health board’s preferred option, Glangwili would host a 24-hour acute stroke and rehabilitation unit, while Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth would retain a stroke rehabilitation unit.

Bronglais, Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest would provide “treat and transfer” services, with patients assessed and stabilised before being moved elsewhere for specialist care where necessary.

The proposals have prompted concerns about travel distances, ambulance capacity and access to urgent treatment, particularly for patients living in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

Hywel Dda said it had received more than 700 questionnaire responses, while more than 3,000 people had taken part in 120 engagement events, meetings and activities.

The health board stressed that no final decision had yet been made.

Medical Director Mark Henwood said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete a questionnaire, attend an event or share their views with us during this consultation.

“The response we have received reflects how important stroke services are to people across our communities and neighbouring health board areas.

“We know there has been considerable discussion about the proposals, and we appreciate the thoughtful and constructive way people have engaged with the consultation.

“We would like to reassure people that no decisions have been made.”

Stroke services are currently provided at all four of Hywel Dda’s main hospitals, including Withybush, Glangwili, Prince Philip and Bronglais.

However, the health board says the current system does not consistently meet national clinical standards and does not provide round-the-clock specialist stroke cover.

It argues that patients are more likely to achieve better outcomes when treated in specialist units with access to expert teams and equipment 24 hours a day.

Mr Henwood said patients should continue to call 999 immediately if they suspect someone is having a stroke.

He added: “Now, and in the future, patients will continue to be taken to the nearest appropriate hospital for urgent assessment and treatment.

“If specialist treatment such as a thrombectomy is needed, patients will continue to be transferred to specialist centres in Bristol or Cardiff.”

The health board said concerns raised about travel and patient transfers would be considered alongside input from the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust and other national providers.

Mr Henwood said any future transport arrangements would be “carefully planned and modelled” to meet patients’ needs while protecting emergency ambulance capacity.

All feedback will now be reviewed alongside responses from the first phase of consultation in 2025, clinical evidence, data and updated impact assessments.

A full consultation report is expected to be presented to the Hywel Dda board in November, when a final decision on the future of stroke services is due to be made.

Any changes are likely to be introduced in phases.

The health board said patients would continue to access stroke services in the same way as they do currently until a decision is made and any new arrangements are implemented.