Welsh Government Commits to Ending Long NHS Waits
The Welsh government has pledged to eliminate the longest waiting times faced by patients in the country's health service within "a matter of months."
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth announced that measures to address two-year waits have already begun, while Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor affirmed that these waits will be "eliminated." Neither ap Iorwerth nor ap Gwynfor provided a precise timeline, though ap Gwynfor described the timeframe as "a matter of months."
Political Pressure and Criticism
These commitments come amid criticism from Reform UK's Dan Thomas, who urged the Plaid Cymru leader to focus fully on the NHS. Thomas accused ap Iorwerth of prioritizing international affairs and Welsh independence over healthcare.
According to the latest figures from March, just under 2,600 people in Wales are waiting more than two years for NHS treatment. This number has decreased for the tenth consecutive month.
First Minister Questions and Diverging Statements
During a historic First Minister Questions session on Tuesday—the first held in the Senedd by a non-Labour first minister—Rhun ap Iorwerth faced scrutiny over NHS waiting times.
Dan Thomas highlighted discrepancies between statements made by ap Iorwerth and ap Gwynfor regarding the timeline for ending two-year waits.
"During the election campaign, you said that two-year waits could end in a matter of months, but your new health minister has said it will happen within four years,"
Thomas added that in England, such waits have been "virtually eradicated some time ago, which proves that ending two-year waits can be achieved."
Ap Iorwerth responded:
"Listen, I've made it very, very clear that there are two elements to what we're trying to do. I reiterate that a priority for us now is to tackle, in the coming months, those issues of the longest two-year waits."
Calls for NHS Funding Focus
Thomas also criticized ap Iorwerth for emphasizing international relations, a non-devolved matter with a £9 million budget, suggesting those funds should instead support the NHS.
The Welsh government operates a network of international offices aimed at promoting Welsh businesses abroad.
Thomas further urged the Plaid Cymru leader to dedicate his "full attention to the NHS and to focus on the day job."
Health Minister's Statement on NHS Challenges
In his first statement to the Senedd, Mabon ap Gwynfor declared:
"We will see two year waits eliminated within a matter of months."
Ap Gwynfor described the inherited health system as "beset by crises that is perhaps more precarious and more vulnerable than at any point in its history."
He identified his "immediate priority" as addressing the waiting list backlog and promised an "ambitious national programme to expand surgical and diagnostic hubs across Wales to reduce waiting times, improve access and increase capacity."
Demand for Specific Timelines
Reform UK's James Evans questioned the vagueness of the timeline:
"Because 'within months' might sound good in a press release, but it means very little to someone who's waiting in pain at home for their operation,"
The health minister did not provide a specific timeframe in response.
