The number of people waiting for NHS treatment in Wales is at a record high.The most recent data, released by the Welsh Government in October, shows as of July this year there were about 619,200 people waiting on treatment waiting lists in Wales. This is the highest figure on record and has grown month-on-month for the last several months.
However this figure represents individual people but some of these people may be waiting for more than one treatment. Long waiting lists have been a huge issue for the NHS in Wales for several years and were made far worse during the disruption to healthcare services in the coronavirus pandemic. The Welsh Government set out targets as part of a recovery plan post-Covid to cut two-year waiting lists completely by March 2023.
That target was not met and two-year waits continue to grow month on month. The latest data shows there were just under 24,200 pathways waiting more than two years in August. This is the fifth month in a row that this waiting list has increased.
For the latest health and Covid news sign up to our newsletter here . While we are constantly told about pressures on the NHS the latest figures released by Stats Wales are still alarming. Adding to this are the disparities in key services such as A&E and ambulance wait times between different hospitals and health boards.
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