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Health

Latest data shows NHS in Wales is ‘creaking at the seams’

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NHS performance data released on Thursday, October 23, contained more bad news for the Welsh Government.

The number of open patient pathways increased from 796,631 in July to 800,163 in August, the highest figure on record and equivalent to one in four of the Welsh population.

Two-year waits increased again for the fifth consecutive month to 24,193 in Wales.
By the end of August, the average (median) time patients waited for treatment was 23 weeks, an increase of 1.1 weeks from the previous month.

Only 49% of red calls (the most serious) received an emergency/ambulance response within eight minutes in September, a fall of 2.8 percentage points since August.

Performance against the 62-day target for patients starting cancer treatment was 56.5% in August.

As Eluned Morgan’s administration continues to struggle with the legacy of poor service delivery and failures to meet performance targets, her successor as Health Minister, Jeremy Miles, hunted for light amid the gloom.

On the same day that the Welsh Government released the performance data, Mr Miles announced £28m in extra funding to help health boards cut the longest waits.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health claimed, “This new funding will pay for more evening and weekend appointments, high-volume clinics, and regional work to target the longest waits in specialities such as orthopaedics, ophthalmology, general surgery and gynaecology.”

The money is certainly needed.

Speaking about the performance data, Mr Miles said: “Despite record levels of demand across the sector, today’s figures show some progress in both diagnostics and therapies, as well as an increase in performance against the 62-day cancer target to 56.5%.”

You know things are bad when being below two-thirds of the way to hitting a performance target is spun as good news.

Mr Miles highlighted that urgent and emergency care services were under pressure, with the second highest daily number of ‘red’ (immediately life-threatening) calls reported on record, and sustained pressure at emergency departments.

Mr Miles tried adding context to increases in ambulance response times by adding that the Ambulance Service responded to the second-highest number of people in the red category in eight minutes ever. However, there was no getting away from a decline against targets set by the Welsh Government.

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

Meanwhile, speaking to BBC Wales, Mr Miles’s boss said she was asking for extra NHS funding in Rachel Reeves’s first budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The First Minister told BBC Wales Live: “I’m really keen to see an injection of money for the NHS in England because we will then get a significant amount of money that will come to Wales as a consequence of that.”

Although that’s superficially good news, regardless of how much money is allocated to the NHS in England, the Welsh Government sets its own budget from the Treasury’s block grant.

That means increases in funding for the NHS in England will not necessarily mean an identical percentage increase in funding for the NHS in Wales.

That is down to Welsh ministers and their priorities.

Opposition parties in the Senedd are likely to press the Welsh Government to spend much more on health, bearing in mind its fragile state in Wales, while cutting spending on “nice to have” projects to bolster essential public services.

Sam Rowlands MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, was scathing about the performance data: “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.”

Health

Kurtz and Tufnell push in different directions for NHS reform in Pembrokeshire

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THE STATE of healthcare in Pembrokeshire has come under renewed scrutiny as two local politicians—Samuel Kurtz MS and Henry Tufnell MP—take different approaches to tackling NHS waiting times and service challenges in the region.

Kurtz: NHS Delays Are Damaging the Economy

Sam Kurtz on the floor in the Senedd

Samuel Kurtz, Conservative Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, has demanded urgent action from the Welsh Government to address record-breaking NHS waiting lists. He has warned that the lengthy delays are not only devastating for patients but also damaging Wales’ economy.

Speaking outside the Senedd, Mr. Kurtz said: “It is completely unacceptable that so many people are left waiting for essential treatment for such prolonged periods. One of my constituents was forced to give up full-time work after enduring an unreasonably long wait for a hip replacement on the NHS. Sadly, this is not an isolated case—it is happening across Wales.”

Figures show that over 20,000 people in Wales have been waiting more than two years for treatment, while more than 170,000 have waited over a year. Kurtz argues that this is not only a healthcare crisis but an economic one, with a quarter of those classed as economically inactive being unable to work due to long-term health conditions.

“The Welsh Government, which has been responsible for health policy for 25 years, must act now,” Kurtz added. “People need treatment so they can return to good health and contribute to our workforce. Wales cannot afford for this situation to become the norm.”

Tufnell: Holding the Health Board to Account

Different approach: MP Tufnell has tough questions for the local health board

Meanwhile, Henry Tufnell, Labour MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, has been pressing for improvements by engaging directly with the Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB). This week, he held a long-awaited meeting with the Chief Executive of the Health Board at Withybush Hospital, following months of campaigning on healthcare issues.

Tufnell had previously presented findings from a survey of over 1,000 Pembrokeshire residents, revealing serious concerns over service availability, waiting times, and patient outcomes. He has pushed HDUHB to acknowledge these failings and commit to improvements.

“I am pleased that this was a productive meeting, and the Chief Executive recognised the scale of the challenges we are facing,” Mr. Tufnell said. “He has agreed that there must be a culture shift within management and has committed to continued dialogue as we work towards a coherent plan to address the crisis.”

Tufnell has also submitted a Freedom of Information request to HDUHB, demanding data on waiting times and service provision to ensure transparency and accountability.

“Healthcare is the number one priority for my constituents, and I am determined to secure better outcomes in Pembrokeshire,” he added. “This meeting is a positive first step, but there is much more work to be done.”

Different Approaches to the Same Crisis

While Kurtz and Tufnell are both addressing Pembrokeshire’s healthcare problems, they are taking distinct approaches. Kurtz is focusing on pressuring the Welsh Government to cut waiting lists, while Tufnell is working directly with the local health board to push for reform.

Although they are not directly clashing, their methods highlight the political divide on how best to tackle the NHS crisis in Wales. As Pembrokeshire residents continue to struggle with delayed treatments and overburdened services, the success of their efforts remains to be seen.

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Health

Ambulance delays leave Pembrokeshire patients waiting hours

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Emergency response times under even more strain

PATIENTS across Wales are facing dangerously long delays as ambulances queue for hours outside A&E departments, with new figures showing an average wait time of nearly two hours for handovers in 2024.

Data obtained by The Herald reveals that more than 23,000 ambulances were stuck outside emergency units for at least four hours last year, while nearly 73,000 endured waits of over an hour—an 18% rise on 2023 and the highest recorded level to date.

The Welsh Ambulance Trust has admitted the situation is unsustainable, blaming it on “sustained and well-documented pressures across the entire NHS in Wales.” The problem is particularly severe in Swansea Bay, where Morriston Hospital reported average handover times exceeding three hours and nine minutes.

Ambulances stuck, patients suffer

When an ambulance arrives at A&E, paramedics are supposed to transfer patients into hospital care within 15 minutes. However, the reality is far different, with official figures showing that in December alone, more than 25,000 hours were ‘lost’ due to excessive waiting times.

The crisis hit a breaking point on 30 December, when the Welsh Ambulance Service declared a critical incident—a rare move—because over half its vehicles were gridlocked outside hospitals, unable to respond to new emergency calls.

“We deeply regret the impact these delays have on our patients and their families,” said Lee Brooks, Executive Director of Operations at the Welsh Ambulance Service. “This is not the standard of service we want to provide.”

Pembrokeshire patients at risk

While much of the focus has been on Swansea and Cardiff, patients in Pembrokeshire are not immune to the chaos. With Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest already under strain following the downgrading of its A&E services, concerns are growing that West Wales patients are left increasingly vulnerable.

“We see ambulances stacked up outside hospitals, unable to get back on the road,” said a paramedic who wished to remain anonymous. “That means people in Pembrokeshire suffering strokes or heart attacks could be left waiting far too long for help.”

Even ‘red calls’—the most urgent emergencies, including cardiac arrests—are facing challenges. In December, only 47.6% of these life-threatening calls were responded to within the target eight-minute window.

Hospitals struggling to cope

Health officials insist they are working to improve the situation, but a key problem remains the lack of available hospital beds. Many emergency departments simply do not have room to admit new patients, leading to a backlog that begins outside in the ambulance queue.

“In some hospitals, one in five beds is occupied by patients who are medically fit to leave but have nowhere to go due to the lack of social care support,” said Darren Hughes of the Welsh NHS Confederation.

Local NHS managers insist they are trying to speed up discharges to free up hospital space, but the knock-on effect of delays is affecting emergency services across Wales.

What next?

With handover delays now at record levels and no quick fix in sight, health bosses are being urged to rethink how emergency services operate.

“We don’t believe that just adding more ambulances is the answer,” Mr Brooks said. “We need to use the skills of our people differently, ensuring patients get the right care or advice before they even need an ambulance.”

The public is also being urged to think before dialling 999, using services like NHS 111 for less urgent issues to ease the burden on emergency crews.

However, for those in Pembrokeshire who rely on fast emergency response times, the reality remains bleak. As the NHS struggles to cope, the people of West Wales can only hope that help arrives before it’s too late.

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Health

£13.7m to transform services and cut ADHD and autism waiting times

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A FURTHER £13.7m will be invested to improve neurodivergence services and reduce waiting times for autism and ADHD assessments across Wales.

Demand for neurodivergence services has rapidly grown in recent years, with increased awareness of neurodivergent conditions leading to thousands of people seeking assessments and support.

The new funding will extend the work of the National Neurodivergence Improvement Programme to transform services and support the National Neurodivergence Team until March 2027, building on the £12m invested over the past three years and £3m to reduce the longest waiting times for children’s assessments in November.

Marking the start of Children’s Mental Health Week (February 3-9), Mental Health and Wellbeing Minister Sarah Murphy said the new funding will help to transform neurodivergence services over the next two years.

“We know radical change is needed in this sector and we are working with the NHS and services to improve long-term support for neurodivergent children, adults and their families,” she said.

“In the face of unprecedented demand for both diagnosis and treatment, we have made significant progress in developing integrated services.

“This further investment will help reduce assessment waiting times while ensuring sustainable support is available for those who need it.”

The Neurodivergence Improvement Programme has already delivered substantial improvements, including:

Extended workforce training across health, social care, education and specialisms
Piloted innovative needs-led profiling tools
Enhanced data collection and reporting systems
Established stronger collaborative relationships between organisations
Piloted new integrated service delivery models
Held an all-Wales accelerated design event
The West Glamorgan Neurodiverse Board’s Myth Busting project is an example of a new support service, which promotes a needs-led, strengths-based approach to supporting neurodivergent pupils, moving away from diagnosis-dependent support.

Through initiatives like Time to Talk sessions, resource materials and digital content, it equips schools and parents with practical tools and strategies to create more inclusive learning environments.

The Minister added: “Our focus is on creating a needs-led approach that provides early help and support, while working to reduce waiting times. This investment demonstrates our commitment to developing sustainable, integrated services that better serve neurodivergent people across Wales.”

Julie Davies, chair of the West Glamorgan Neurodiverse Programme and Head of Adult and Children’s Services at Swansea Council, said:

“We are delighted to hear about the extension of the Neurodivergence Programme. The continued funding will be instrumental in addressing the specific needs of individuals, our endeavours to reduce waiting times, and developing innovative approaches to support neurodiverse communities.”

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