WALES’ NHS has reported its lowest number of two-year waits for treatment in more than four years, alongside record levels of demand on emergency departments and improvements in ambulance handover times.
Figures released this week show just over 7,400 pathways were waiting more than two years in June – almost 90% lower than the peak in March 2021 and a 27.4% fall compared with May. That is the lowest level since March 2021.
The overall waiting list also dropped by more than 2,000 in June, while the longest waits fell from 23,400 to 7,400 in the last year – a 68% reduction.
For the first time, the Welsh Government has published provisional waiting times data for the following month. The July snapshot suggests a slight rise in long waits but officials say the overall trend remains downward.
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: “It is encouraging to see the number of people waiting more than two years is at its lowest for more than four years. I’m pleased to see a fall in the overall waiting list too.
“We expect to see some fluctuations in the number of long waits from month to month – that reflects in part the variation in the numbers of people who came onto the list two years ago, but I am confident there will be significant further reductions by the end of the next quarter in September.
“I know health boards are working very hard to bring waits down and I can see the impact of this in the numbers of additional treatments being carried out. We need to make sure this continues over the months ahead.”
The Welsh Government is backing health boards with a £120m plan to reduce the overall waiting list by 200,000, eliminate two-year waits and restore the eight-week diagnostic waiting target by March 2026.
Emergency pressures
While progress is being made on long waits, NHS Wales continues to face heavy pressure at the front line.
July saw almost 101,900 attendances to emergency departments – an average of 3,287 a day – the highest on record and more than 5,000 higher than in June.
Ambulance handover delays showed marked improvement. In July, the time it takes for ambulance crews to transfer patients to emergency department staff fell by 18% compared to June, and by 36.1% compared to June 2024. Handover times are now at their lowest level since July 2021.
More than half of patients (59.7%) were handed over within 45 minutes – up 6.1% on the previous month. Every health board reported improvements.
A national taskforce has been set up to maintain these gains.
New ambulance categories
July also marked the first month of new “purple” and “red” call categories introduced by the Welsh Ambulance Service.
There were 814 purple calls – covering out-of-hospital cardiac arrests – making up just over 2% of all calls. Red calls, the most serious life-threatening emergencies, accounted for 4,449 cases or 12.6% of all calls.
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: “I am pleased to see continued improvements in the ambulance handover times and while there was a dip in the cancer performance, this is the fifth month in a row it has been above 60%.
“Ensuring people seek the right care from the right service will help support our NHS when it is under pressure. Emergency departments are open 24/7 for people with life-threatening emergencies. Minor injury units provide safe and effective care – and often faster treatment – for people who have less serious injuries.
“I encourage everyone to think about the care they need – an emergency department isn’t the answer for everything. If you need advice or help you can call 111 or access the 111 website.
“I want to thank all the staff working in the NHS for continuing to provide the best possible care for everyone who needs it.”
NHS Confederation response
Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said the figures underline both the scale of the challenges and the progress being made.
He said: “July saw the highest average daily attendances to emergency departments on record. While this is yet another example of the ongoing pressures on the NHS, it also shows there is more work to do to support people to seek care at the right place for their needs.
“Reducing ambulance handover delays has been a huge focus for NHS organisations. The progress in this space is evident, with handover times their lowest since July 2021. This is testament to the hard work, but also determination, of NHS leaders and staff to explore new ways of doing things.
“It’s also positive to see the overall waiting list starting to come down again, despite the obvious system-wide strains, as well as the longest waits seeing further reductions.”
Mr Hughes added that while not every measure was positive, the data highlights the “unwavering commitment of the NHS to continue to improve care for the communities they serve.”
