Cancer treatment targets missed again as opposition says Plaid must share responsibility for health service performance

NHS WALES is facing renewed pressure after the latest performance figures showed waiting lists rising, cancer treatment targets being missed again and more patients waiting over 12 hours in emergency departments.

The figures come as the Welsh Government announced an additional £145m for NHS Wales, including £100m to reduce waiting times and £25m for new surgical hubs.

In April, performance against the 62-day target for patients starting cancer treatment fell to 56.7%, well below the 75% target.

In Swansea Bay, just 48.4% of cancer patients began treatment within the target time.

Treatment waiting lists also increased, with 680,003 patient pathways recorded in April. The estimated number of individual patients waiting for treatment stood at 536,500.

Two-year waits rose to 3,694. In England, the comparable figure was 191.

Emergency care also came under further strain in May. The proportion of patients spending less than four hours in Welsh emergency departments fell to 64.4%, against a target of 95%.

A total of 11,066 patients waited 12 hours or more before being admitted, transferred or discharged, up from 10,287 in April. The target is zero.

Ambulance performance remained under pressure. For red calls, the median response time improved to nine minutes and 12 seconds, but the 90th percentile increased to 22 minutes and 39 seconds, meaning response time targets were still not met.

Welsh Conservative criticism

The Welsh Conservatives said the figures showed a “worrying backslide” in NHS performance and accused Plaid Cymru of sharing responsibility for the state of the health service.

Natasha Asghar MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said: “These figures show a worrying backslide in NHS performance in Wales. Cancer treatment times have fallen, waiting lists have risen, two-year waits are up and more patients are being left waiting over 12 hours in emergency departments.

“Plaid Cymru cannot escape responsibility for this. They propped up the previous Welsh Labour Government by backing their budgets and are now in Government themselves. Patients across Wales need action, not more talk of improvement.

“Whilst any extra funding for the NHS is welcome, £145m will not be enough unless it is accompanied by urgent reform, a comprehensive workforce strategy and real delivery for patients.

“The Welsh Conservatives have been clear that the Welsh Government needs to declare a health emergency in our NHS. We need more beds in our hospitals, a robust NHS workforce and a serious plan to cut waiting lists and to support our emergency departments.”

Funding announced

The Welsh Government says the extra £145m will support work to reduce waiting times and improve access to treatment.

Of that, £100m has been allocated to reducing waiting lists, while £25m will be invested in new surgical hubs.

Health leaders have welcomed the additional funding, but warned that money alone will not solve the pressures facing hospitals, GP services, social care and emergency departments.

The latest figures are likely to increase pressure on ministers to show clear progress before the winter, when demand on the NHS is expected to rise further.

Welsh Government response

The Welsh Government said the figures related to April, before the new administration took office, and showed that both treatment waiting lists and the longest waits had increased.

Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor said too many people were waiting too long for treatment, and said emergency care performance was not yet at the level patients and staff should expect.

He said: “Our focus is clear — cut waiting times, prioritise those who have been waiting the longest, improve access to services and build an NHS that can keep up with demand in the long term.

“To bring waiting times down and keep them down, we need to change the way the NHS works — making sure patients move through the system more smoothly, from their first referral all the way to treatment.

“We’ve got a plan to do this, working with the fantastic NHS staff right across Wales. The £145 million we’re announcing today will be important in tackling the waiting list and waiting times and helping people be seen quicker.”

The Welsh Government said £100m would be used to help reduce waiting lists and waiting times, £25m would be invested in new surgical and diagnostic hubs, and £20m would go towards essential maintenance across the NHS estate.

Senedd statement urges action on rising costs, climate change, nature loss and insecure livelihoods

MORE than 240 organisations from across Wales have backed a Senedd call for urgent action to build a fairer, greener and more resilient nation.

The Statement of Opinion, tabled by Niamh Salkeld MS, supports the Cymru Together campaign and calls on the Welsh Government to respond to the linked crises of rising living costs, insecure livelihoods, climate change and nature loss.

Ahead of the 2026 Senedd election, more than 240 organisations signed an open letter under the Cymru Together banner, urging political parties to work together on Wales’ most pressing challenges.

The statement calls on ministers to invest in warmer homes and cheaper renewable energy, ensure renewable energy creates community wealth and supports workers, and restore nature by supporting farmers to produce food sustainably while making polluters pay.

It also says climate action in Wales can support communities around the world already facing the worst effects of climate change, while delivering practical improvements to everyday life at home.

Niamh Salkeld MS said: “For communities like mine in Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni, this is about fairness.

“We know that if we get this right, we can tackle the cost-of-living crisis, strengthen our communities and create a more secure future.

“We also know the cost of doing nothing is higher energy bills, more extreme weather and fewer opportunities for future generations.”

Bethan Sayed, Head of Politics at Climate Cymru, said Wales was at a “pivotal moment”.

She said: “Climate action is not a burden on Wales: it is an opportunity to build warmer homes, create good jobs, restore our natural environment, and deliver a fairer future for everyone who calls Wales home.”

Stan Townsend, Head of Policy at Climate Cymru, said the proposals were “practical priorities” that could make a real difference.

He said: “Investing in home efficiency cuts energy bills for households, community ownership of renewable energy gives us the chance to keep more wealth in our communities, and supporting farmers to farm sustainably protects the land and the livelihoods that depend on it.”

Cerith Griffiths, a former firefighter and FBU trade union official, said the campaign connected climate action with lower energy bills, good jobs and healthier communities.

Global Climate Justice Cymru said the statement recognised that “what Wales does matters beyond our borders”, while Race Council Cymru said the campaign showed how climate action could help reduce living costs and create new opportunities.

Cymru Together describes itself as a growing movement of more than 240 organisations calling for a fairer and healthier Wales.

SHADOW HEALTH SECRETARY Natasha Asghar MS has written to the Justice Secretary seeking assurances over the prison placement and official recording of convicted sex offender Paula Stanton.

Stanton, 62, was jailed after admitting an act outraging public decency at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where court proceedings heard NHS staff were forced to witness a sexual act while carrying out their duties.

The case has prompted renewed political scrutiny over how transgender offenders with histories of sexual offending are managed in custody, and how such offences are recorded in criminal justice statistics.

Ministry of Justice policy for England and Wales states that transgender women who retain male genitalia, or who have been convicted of sexual or violent offences, should not normally be held in the general women’s estate except in the most exceptional circumstances.

Ms Asghar said the immediate focus must be on the hospital staff affected.

She said: “This was a disgusting offence committed against NHS workers who were simply trying to do their jobs.

“NHS staff already face enormous pressure. They should not have to endure predatory or deeply distressing behaviour in their workplace, and they deserve proper protection and support.

“What makes this case even more concerning is Stanton’s significant history of sexual offending, including previous convictions for outraging public decency and indecent exposure.

“I have written to the Justice Secretary seeking assurances that Stanton is being held in a male prison, in line with Ministry of Justice policy on male-born sex offenders.

“I have also asked for confirmation that these offences will be recorded accurately in official crime and criminal justice statistics.

“The public are entitled to clear, accurate reporting of serious crimes. That is particularly important where offences involve male-pattern sexual offending.”

The case sits within a wider and often highly sensitive debate about the rights and safety of transgender prisoners, female prisoners, staff and victims.

Campaigners on one side argue that biological sex must be recorded clearly in cases involving sexual offending, particularly where victims are women or where offenders have male genitalia. Others stress that transgender prisoners can also be vulnerable in custody and must be treated lawfully, decently and safely.

Ms Asghar said her concern was not only about prison policy, but also about the working conditions of NHS staff.

She added: “Above all, my thoughts are with the NHS staff who were subjected to this appalling behaviour. They were the victims in this case and they deserve our full support.

“I have also raised the matter with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to seek assurances about the safety of NHS staff.”